Tidal Energy Directory: This is the Tidal Energy directory of All Sites Sorted, and is a subsection of the Renewable Energy Online Directory providing access to renewable tidal energy websites and resources. Tidal energy, also called tidal power, provides a vast potential for renewable electric power generation and industrial energy supply. Like solar and wind power, Tidal Energy is geography dependent – relying of course on proximity to ocean shores. Not all ocean shore locations are equal for tidal energy supply – since certain shore locations provide relatively high variances between high and low tides whereas other shore locations provide relatively low variance between tidal levels. The high variance locations have the greatest potential for tidal energy supply, namely the potential energy released from the difference between high tide levels and low tide levels.
Low Tide versus High Tide = Tidal Energy
Other sources of tidal energy or power are oceanic currents, captured by turbines driven by currents passing the fixed turbine intake location.
Tides are generated by endless cycles of the rotation of the moon about the Earth, resulting in an almost limitless supply of energy. This is because the motion of the moon is unaffected by the harnessing of tides for power generation.
Ocean dams and barrages are used to harness the tidal energy. The efficiency of such ocean dams is proportional to the tidal swell, i.e. the difference between the high and low tide marks. These heights can be substantial, particularly in bays, and areas where tides must funnel into narrow gaps, such as in some river mouths and fjords. In a renowned example, average tidal amplitudes in the Bay of Fundy, Canada exceed 15 meters.
Because tidal energy generation is proportional to height, selection of the locations of the tidal power generator is important – namely where such high tidal amplitudes can be harnessed. Drawbacks of tidal energy generations include time dependency upon times of tidal flow and susceptibility of machine components to corrosion and degradation in high salinity environments found in ocean locations.
In often simplified terms, any place where the tide builds up in a good height differential and a significant flow, the water flow can be harnessed for power generation. One solution is building a dam or barrage dam across a bay openeing - with gates that open to allow the incoming tides, but close at high tide to direct the outgoing flow to turines. As the tide drops you have a big height difference between inside and outside the dam or barrage - to generate electricity.
The sites listed below focus on tidal energy and tidal power research, products, technology and business.
Tidal turbine on stream Hindu, India - Jul 18, 2008 It marked the first time a commercial-scale underwater turbine fed power into the network and the start of a new source of renewable energy . Tidal streams ...
EDF plans Brittany pilot tidal energy plant International Water Power and Dam Construction, UK - Jul 18, 2008 Electricite de France (EDF) plans to build a pilot tidal energy plant off the coast of Brittany in northwest France by 2011. The power utility said that the ...
Tidal power makes an impact Practical Boat Owner Magazine, UK - Jul 18, 2008 But Bristol-based tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines say they now have a viable solution with SeaGen, a 1.2MW turbine placed in Strangford Lough. ...
British Tidal Power System Connected to Grid SustainableBusiness.com, NY - Jul 18, 2008 It is hoped the tidal farm will be commissioned in 2011 or 2012. The company is also investigating the potential for tidal energy schemes in other parts of ...
Lochhead hails tidal energy as 'fantastic opportunity' John O'Groat Journal, UK - Jul 18, 2008 It was held at the Park Hotel in Thurso where a number of community representatives and Highland councillors gathered to discuss the tidal energy plans. ...
Tidal Power Generator Going Online in Ireland FOXNews - Jul 17, 2008 The other difference with wind is that tidal energy is completely predictable. "Tides are not driven by weather, but instead by the relative motion of the ...
Britain gets first taste of big tidal power guardian.co.uk, UK - Jul 17, 2008 "This is an important milestone for the company and indeed the development of the marine renewable energy sector as a whole," MCT's Managing Director Martin ...
First tidal power turbine gets plugged in guardian.co.uk, UK - Jul 17, 2008 SeaGen was designed and built by the Bristol-based tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines (MCT), which also installed the test device at Strangford in ...
SeaGen flows into grid for first time EnergyCurrent, TX - Jul 17, 2008 Located in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough and developed by British tidal energy company, Marine Current Turbines (MCT) Ltd., the tidal current turbine, ...
How tidal power plants work - history of tidal mills and ocean energy and how they ... Tidal energy systems can have environmental impacts on tidal basins. http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/tidal_power.htm [Read more]
Tidal Energy: Tidal energy is renewable. The tides will continue to ebb and flow, and the energy is there for the taking. This site explains alternatives for tidal energy supply. http://home.clara.net/darvill/altenerg/tidal.htm [Read more]
The theoretical tidal energy resource around the island of Ireland has been calculated by Sustainable Energy Ireland to be 230Twh/year. http://www.gaelectric.ie/tidal.asp [Read more]
Tidal Electric: Tidal electric power generation based on tidal generators. Tidal lagoons, a new concept in renewable electricity generation, could also make a significant early contribution to reducing dependency on fossil fuel based electricgeneration. http://www.tidalelectric.com/ [Read more]
OpenHydro's core business is the manufacture and installation of tidal energy systems, enabling customers to supply renewable energy. http://www.openhydro.com/ [Read more]
UK renewable energy, tidal energy, solar power, PV, photo-voltaics: Electricity can be generated by water flowing both into and out of a bay. As there are two high and two low tides each day, electrical generation from tidal energy conversion. http://www.sundancerenewables.org.uk/learn/energy/tidal.html [Read more]
What is Tidal Energy? Traditional tidal electricity generation involves the construction of a barrage across an estuary to block the incoming and outgoing tide and direction of water flow to turbine stations. http://www.oceanenergycouncil.com/ [Read more]
Tacoma Power is proposing to develop tidal energy at the Tacoma Narrows. Public Utility District Number 1 of Snohomish County (SnoPUD) has proposed projects. http://www.pstidalenergy.org/ [Read more]
Ocean Power Delivery Ltd has developed a novel offshore wave energy converter called Pelamis. Building on technology developed for the offshore industry. http://www.oceanpd.com/ [Read more]
The British Wind Energy Association: Information on the UK wind energy industry, wind farms, wind power, with news, detailed information and photos. http://www.bwea.com/ [Read more]
