Successful trial of Energetech Wave Energy Device  

Energy Bulletin noted today that Energetech's wave energy device down in Wollongong has completed testing (pdf) successfully. It will be interesting to see what the long term cost of electricity is using this type of device and how well it scales up - but I could certainly imagine this type of solution being a great way to generate power in small towns all around the country. Add some wind turbines, plenty of solar panels and some smart grid technology and you could probably avoid centralised power generation entirely.

Energetech Port Kembla Project Results: The Energetech wave energy device was installed and operated at Port Kembla during a planned test period in June. Tests were run and valuable data was logged, indicating the primary system works as designed. While the incident waves during the deployment period were low, there was clear confirmation of the amplification of the waves due to the parabolic wall.

The air velocities past the turbine and the overall system efficiency indicators exceeded expectations. Peak power production estimates during the tests show that many homes could have been supported by the small waves powering the system. During further testing, the wave energy unit regenerated power into the local grid. Final installation in the near future will now incorporate the technical improvements defined during this initial test phase.