![]() The typical installation that uses tidal energy can recoup the fossil fuel expenses to create its equipment within five years. It requires less space to operate than comparable facilities, has a reduced risk of impairing marine life than some methods of electricity generation, and eliminates the need for supplementary carbon and methane since fewer transportation needs are associated with this form of energy. The benefits to the environment when using this option don’t stop at a better greenhouse gas emissions profile. Power plants using tidal energy are environmentally friendly. That means we can use this idea indefinitely to generate resources so that we can live a modern lifestyle while still having the opportunity to reduce our overall carbon footprint.ĥ. We will always have access to the ocean, sunlight, gravity, and the moon. Once we get beyond this first down payment, the power we can generate with this technology is 100% renewable. We must pay an initial fossil fuel expense to create or manufacture the equipment necessary to generate electricity from a tidal installation. Tidal energy is entirely renewable once the installation is complete. There isn’t another form of renewables on the market today that can match this cost profile, and many fossil fuel-based forms of power generation also struggle to keep pace with it.Ĥ. Some locations are already generating power at a rate of $0.02 per kilowatt-hour. This form of electricity is one of the cheapest options that we have once you go beyond the first capital expenses. The operational costs of a tidal energy facility are minimal.Īlthough the initial installation cost of a power plant that relies on the tides is comparatively high to other energy resources, a significant level of savings occurs over the lifespan of the facility. There is nothing to suggest that tidal energy couldn’t achieve the same results.ģ. Revised lifespan estimates for nuclear power plants have taken the capability of that technology to almost a century of usefulness. The length of service time is comparable to what a coal-fired power plant can offer, and it is similar to the initial expectations of what we would receive with a nuclear facility. This advantage means that communities can use the electricity generated by this engineering feat for twice as long as the average solar or wind installation. Tidal energy facilities have the capability of operating for over 50 years with very little maintenance needed to continue functioning. The lifespan of a tidal energy resource is extensive. When we compare tidal energy efficiency rates to other renewables like solar and wind, the difference is more than 50 percentage points.Ģ. When you compare this renewable resource to the fossil fuels that release greenhouse gas emissions and particulates to the atmosphere, it is over 30 percentage points higher. The only resource that we currently use that is better than this comes from nuclear power, which achieves a 91% efficiency rating in the United States. The most recent installations that use this technology can achieve an efficiency rating above 80% consistently. Tidal energy offers us one of the most efficient ways to generate power in the world right now. Tidal energy provides a high-efficiency method of power generation. List of the Advantages of Tidal Energy and Powerġ. Several advantages and disadvantages of tidal energy and power are worth considering as the world looks for new ways to move away from fossil fuels. The United States doesn’t have a tidal energy plant, and there are only a few sites where the electricity could be produced at a reasonable price. The largest facility is the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station in South Korea, while the oldest one is still producing energy in La Rance, France.Įngland, China, Canada, and Russia have significant potential when considering this renewable power resource. Although some installations have been online for over 40 years, there are only a handful of commercially viable power plants that use this technology around the world. It would be fair to say that energy production using this method is still in its infancy. Engineers first introduced this contact in the 20th century so that areas with a significant tidal range could benefit from the movements of the water. When the waters rise and fall each day, the movement creates tides and currents that allow turbines to spin so that electricity generation is possible. Tidal energy is a source of renewable power that comes directly from the ocean.
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