Unconventional Sources of Renewable Electricity

Unusual Sources of Renewable Electricity: Wave Energy

Researchers are exploring a wide range of alternative energy sources, including tidal, geothermal, wind, solar, biomass, marine, and even energy harvested from human movement. Piezoelectric technologies, for example, convert mechanical pressure into electricity. Such approaches may help reduce dependence on conventional energy sources and their environmental impacts.

One particularly unusual option is energy from ocean waves.

In April 2021, the British company Mocean Energy presented Blue X, a prototype device designed to convert the kinetic energy of sea waves into electricity.

How does it work? The floating device rocks with the waves, driving a central hinge that in turn powers a generator. The resulting electricity is transmitted ashore through cables.

What could it achieve? According to an estimate attributed to Mocean Energy in the original article, capturing just 1% of the world's available wave energy could supply electricity to 50 million buildings. For comparison, the article puts the number of residential buildings in Russia at approximately 14 million.