Comments on: Pumped and multi-lagoon tidal systems http://www.sindark.com/2009/07/03/pumped-and-multi-lagoon-tidal-systems/ Temporarily Torontonian Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:01:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: . http://www.sindark.com/2009/07/03/pumped-and-multi-lagoon-tidal-systems/#comment-99588 . Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:58:01 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=5852#comment-99588 Ingenious it may be, but commercial viability is a long way off. Tidal-power partisans praise its reliability and easiness on the eye—in contrast with the giant wind turbines near some New England tourist havens—and note that over half of America’s electricity is used in states that border on the ocean. But there are limitations. Most of America’s tidal-energy capacity is in Alaska, too far from big population centres. <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/17204926?story_id=17204926" rel="nofollow">Industry analysts reckon that, at maximum capacity, tidal power could generate 13 gigawatts nationwide</a>, small beer compared with the 35 gigawatts of wind generation that already exists. Still, areas like Maine could benefit if the costs go down. A recent study shows that Maine could generate 250 megawatts from the tide, 100 of that in the Eastport area alone. Perhaps the biggest benefit could be to Eastport’s economy. In a county where unemployment reaches 13% in some months, young people are moving away, replaced by seasonal part-timers. “If I wasn’t doing this I wouldn’t have a local job,” says Ryan Beaumont, an ORPC employee who used to work in the sardine industry. The town is striving to make the venture succeed: offering cheap office space and allowing use of its idle port and tugboats. This month Eastport received a $1.4m federal grant to build a manufacturing plant for the ocean-energy industry. Ingenious it may be, but commercial viability is a long way off. Tidal-power partisans praise its reliability and easiness on the eye—in contrast with the giant wind turbines near some New England tourist havens—and note that over half of America’s electricity is used in states that border on the ocean. But there are limitations. Most of America’s tidal-energy capacity is in Alaska, too far from big population centres. Industry analysts reckon that, at maximum capacity, tidal power could generate 13 gigawatts nationwide, small beer compared with the 35 gigawatts of wind generation that already exists. Still, areas like Maine could benefit if the costs go down. A recent study shows that Maine could generate 250 megawatts from the tide, 100 of that in the Eastport area alone.

Perhaps the biggest benefit could be to Eastport’s economy. In a county where unemployment reaches 13% in some months, young people are moving away, replaced by seasonal part-timers. “If I wasn’t doing this I wouldn’t have a local job,” says Ryan Beaumont, an ORPC employee who used to work in the sardine industry. The town is striving to make the venture succeed: offering cheap office space and allowing use of its idle port and tugboats. This month Eastport received a $1.4m federal grant to build a manufacturing plant for the ocean-energy industry.

]]> By: Hardtack colony http://www.sindark.com/2009/07/03/pumped-and-multi-lagoon-tidal-systems/#comment-91207 Hardtack colony Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:08:08 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=5852#comment-91207 [...] geothermal, etc) and between regions. We can store energy in pumped hydroelectric storage and multi-reservoir tidal systems. We can use electric vehicles as a storage and load balancing system, and work to improve [...] [...] geothermal, etc) and between regions. We can store energy in pumped hydroelectric storage and multi-reservoir tidal systems. We can use electric vehicles as a storage and load balancing system, and work to improve [...]

]]> By: Compressed air energy storage http://www.sindark.com/2009/07/03/pumped-and-multi-lagoon-tidal-systems/#comment-87526 Compressed air energy storage Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:07:08 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=5852#comment-87526 [...] with compressed air and pumped hydroelectric storage, promising energy storage options include pumped and multi-lagoon tidal facilities, as well as fleets of electric vehicles that can be charged when energy is ample and tapped as an [...] [...] with compressed air and pumped hydroelectric storage, promising energy storage options include pumped and multi-lagoon tidal facilities, as well as fleets of electric vehicles that can be charged when energy is ample and tapped as an [...]

]]> By: . http://www.sindark.com/2009/07/03/pumped-and-multi-lagoon-tidal-systems/#comment-81969 . Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:47:27 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=5852#comment-81969 <a href="http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2009/09/23/1-mw-tidal-turbine-to-be-submerged-this-fall-in-bay-of-fundy/" title="Clean Break » Blog Archive » 1-MW tidal turbine to be submerged this fall in Bay of Fundy" rel="nofollow">1-MW tidal turbine to be submerged this fall in Bay of Fundy</a> Nova Scotia Power has partnered up with Dublin, Ireland-based OpenHydro Group to install a 1-megawatt tidal turbine to the seabed in the Bay of Fundy. It’s OpenHydro’s first installation of its 1-MW machine and is expected to be fully operational later this fall. Over two years the two companies will collect operational data, including impacts on environment, robustness of equipment, and power generation. The sub-sea base was manufactured by a local company in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. 1-MW tidal turbine to be submerged this fall in Bay of Fundy

Nova Scotia Power has partnered up with Dublin, Ireland-based OpenHydro Group to install a 1-megawatt tidal turbine to the seabed in the Bay of Fundy. It’s OpenHydro’s first installation of its 1-MW machine and is expected to be fully operational later this fall. Over two years the two companies will collect operational data, including impacts on environment, robustness of equipment, and power generation. The sub-sea base was manufactured by a local company in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

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