Open AccessA review of wave energy technology from a research and commercial perspective
Author(s) -
Guo Bingyong,
Ringwood John V.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
iet renewable power generation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1752-1424
pISSN - 1752-1416
DOI - 10.1049/rpg2.12302
Subject(s) - software deployment , perspective (graphical) , diversity (politics) , variety (cybernetics) , energy (signal processing) , learning curve , convergence (economics) , energy technology , environmental economics , telecommunications , computer science , engineering , risk analysis (engineering) , business , economics , physics , electrical engineering , political science , economic growth , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , law , operating system
Although wave energy prototypes have been proposed for more than 100 years, they have still not reached full commercialisation. The reasons for this are varied, but include the diversity of device operating principles, the variety of onshore/nearshore/offshore deployment possibilities, the diversity of the wave climate at various potential wave energy sites, and the consequent lack of convergence in technology and consensus. This distributed effort has, in turn, lead to a slow rate of progression up the learning curve, with a significant number of wave energy company liquidations and technical setbacks dampening investor confidence. Although a number of reviews on wave energy technology are already in the published literature, such a dynamic environment merits an up‐to‐date analysis and this review examines the wave energy landscape from a technological, research and commercial perspective.