Cleaning BC: The role of Wave Supplied Power in a Low-Carbon Energy System

The Living Without Oil Series: An Elder Academy Event Dr. Buckham, Professor in the Department of of Mechanical Engineering, UVic. As a renewable energy technology, wave energy converters (WECs) suffer a unique dichotomy: wave energy is accepted as a vast untapped natural energy supply with some competitive advantages, but they remain an undervalued technology when compared to land-based renewable options. In BC, development of wave energy resources is hindered by a saturated energy market and cost-of-energy constraints that apply to any new generation capacity. However, there are a large number of communities that remain reliant on diesel fueled energy generation and there is a push at all levels of government to mitigate diesel consumption at these locations. For many of these communities, wave supplied power is the predominant renewable resource and presents the best opportunity to eliminate diesel consumption– provided the technology can be operated without undue risk. This presentation describes recent developments in WEC design and control, the state of new international standards for the WEC industry and how these efforts can serve BC communities. To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/oil-part-one-tickets-85417396733  Students may register for free by emailing uvraevents@uvic.ca