Economic Analysis of Wave Power Devices
T W Thorpe
AEA Technology, D5, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, UK
Tel +44-(0)1235-463578.
Fax +44-(0)1235-463574.
tom.
thorpe@aeat.
co.
uk
ABSTRACT
Wave power devices have undergone...
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Economic Analysis of Wave Power Devices
T W Thorpe
AEA Technology, D5, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB, UK
Tel +44-(0)1235-463578.
Fax +44-(0)1235-463574.
tom.
thorpe@aeat.
co.
uk
ABSTRACT
Wave power devices have undergone significant improvements since the last review of wave energy
in the UK in 1992.
This paper outlines some of the more recent developments in a number of
representative devices.
These are assessed using a widely accepted methodology.
The results show
that wave energy is already economically competitive in niche markets and has good prospects of
being commercially competitive with further R&D.
The paper concludes with some suggestions for
taking wave energy forward.
1.
INTRODUCTION
The last extensive review of wave energy (1)
concluded that existing designs of wave
energy devices were unlikely to be
economically competitive but that future
changes could lead to improvements in their
economics.
Since then, several of the device teams have
Less
