What The Future Of Wave Energy Looks Like

Ocean Power Technologies' PowerBuoy is one of dozens of designs for capturing the power of ocean waves.

This week in Portland, Oregon, leaders of the young wave-energy industry met at the Oregon WaveEnergy Trust (OWET) conference to see what they have in common. The answer, at least when it comes to design, is: not much.

While the wind industry has, for the time being, agreed on the design of wind turbines (tall, white, three blades) and the solar industry knows what a solar panel looks like (flat, black, rectangular), the endeavor of turning ocean energy into usable electricity is experiencing a Wild West of innovation.

This is unsurprising when one considers the industry’s youth. Most wave-energy companies are less than a decade old, some much younger, while solar and wind energy have been in development for decades. No wave-energy firm in the United States has yet delivered power to the grid (though one, Ocean Power Technologies, is getting closer), and almost none have matured to the point where they can deliver the kind of returns expected by venture capitalists.

The excitement at the conference was nonetheless palpable, as this year some designs are finally moving out of the laboratory and being tested at sea. The ocean is a supremely challenging place to try to harvest energy, and not just because of the salt water, punishing weather and giant swells. The ocean doesn’t just simply blow like the wind, or radiate like the sun’s rays. The ocean heaves, pitches and rolls, and the bewildering menagerie of designs are a reflection of its unpredictable character.

Principals at wave-energy startups took the the podium one after another to explain how their devices would create the most electricity, with greatest reliability, at the lowest prices — each pitch delivered with a hint of swagger. However, if wave energy follows the path of the wind and solar industries, most of these designs will become historical artifacts while just a few prevail. But today’s jostling is exciting to watch.

Here are a few of the devices that were discussed from the stage, a list that is by no means comprensive: