'Bicycle pump' to turn wave power into clean energy

mike65

From Guardian and BBC

Announcing the purchase of a controlling stake in Searaser, Ecotricity founder, Dale Vince, claimed: "We believe Searaser has the potential to produce electricity at a lower cost than any other type energy, not just other forms of renewable energy but all "conventional" forms of energy too."

Existing marine technologies, such the Pelamis "wave-snake" have encountered unforseen financial and technical difficulties. But Ecotricity claims "it is not over-ambitious" to expect 200 of the 18 metre-deep Searaser devices to be installed around the UK within five years, generating enough renewable electricity to power 236,000 homes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9jGis5V5LE

Capt'n Midnight

He said that a full size machine would be about 1m wide and 12m deep and cost up to £250,000
...
It believes that 200 sites could generate enough energy to power about 230,000 homes.

at 1m wide it's not going to produce a lot of power, in the best locations power in waves tops off at about 40Kw per meter.


the costs don't seem to include generator or plumbing either

nedzer2011

Yeah, It's pretty similar to a number of other existing technologies out there. Most are technically very good but almost all are rubbish economically. Once the economics can be sorted out we'll have a real news story!:D

Markcheese

The 83 mm version looked to have a float of about 1 / 1.5 meters across , don't know how big the full size version would be.... They look like a modular unit that could be mass produced off site then anchored and plumbed in ,the bigger the top resevoir the more potential power.
I'm sure that if the head of ecotricity has invested his own shekels in the scheme them he's prob done some basic maths...
How soon before they could test them here and where would be suitable.... There's loads of low cliffs on both sides of cork harbour... Guess that'd suit.....