West Coast waves a world-class energy resource, researchers say - Action News
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British Columbia

West Coast waves a world-class energy resource, researchers say

University of Victoria researchers say that as a future source of abundant renewable energy, the waves off Vancouver Island's West Coast are really swell.

'Like a two or three-storey building coming at you,' researcher says of waves' power on West Coast

In November a fifth wave-monitoring buoy will be launched at the north end of Vancouver Island to add to data on tidal energy currently being gathered from four others on the coast. (University of Victoria )

University of Victoria researchers say that as a future source of abundant renewable energy, the waves off Vancouver Island's west coast are really swell.

The university's West Coast Wave Initiativeis launching a fifth monitoring buoy next month to measure the energy potential off the coast of Vancouver Island.

Brad Buckham, the director of the West Coast Wave Initiative, saidthe west coast of VancouverIsland is a world-class resourcefor future wave energy development.

"You're notgoingto find very many locations that are better," hetoldOn The IslandhostGregorCraigie.

Brad Buckham is director of the West Coast Wave Initiative and an associate professor of engineering at the University of Victoria. (University of Victoria)

The area'stidal energy potential is demonstrated forcefullyevery year when late January storms atAmphitritePoint near Ucluelet generate waves 14 to15 metres high.

"Imagine what the wave would look like if you were at the buoy at the time of the measurements,"Buckhamsaid. "[It's] like a twoorthree-storey building coming at you."

"That's obviously an impressive resource."

Wave power is different fromtidal power generation, which is also in development on both of Canada's coasts. It usesthe oscillations in a wave to drive a turbine, compared to tidal power'suse of a steady tidal current to drive uniform rotation of a turbine.

The UVicresearchers have had buoys collecting data inthe water on and off since 2007. They are currently near Port Renfrew, atAmphitrite Banksouthwest of Ucluelet, at Florencia Bay between Ucluelet and Tofinoandnearthe EstevanPointlighthouse station.

"The buoys really give you a high-fidelity picture of the waves at those four specific locations," Buckham said.

The four WatchMate wave measurement buoys already deployed on Vancouver Island's west coast monitor wave height, direction, amplitude and period. The data is used to design technologies to generate electricity. (University of Victoria)

What the data shows is that average annual wave energy at any of the buoy locationsis 35 to40 kilowatts per metre of wave.

Average peak demand at a residence in the developed world is about twokilowatts, Buckham said,"with everyone running their toasters and computers and charging their iPhones."

Despite the potential, Buckham is not aware of any immediate plans for harnessing thepower of the waves.

Buckham said withadequate B.C. power already coming from relatively clean hydroelectric generation, there is currentlylittle appetite for taking on the risk of shifting into a transformative technology such as wave power.

Withfilesfrom CBC Radio One's On The Island


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