RENEWABLE ENERGY
Making use of the moon to power everything from hairdriers to cars sounds like a sci-fi concept, but humans have been harnessing the tides for a very long time. In the first century AD, Romans used tidal mills to grind grain and, with the energy transition underway, this renewable power source could make a comeback.
Tides can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy far into the future, even centuries ahead. These predictions are based on the wellunderstood gravitational interactions between the Earth, Moon and Sun. While influenced by the wind, waves have inertia and maintain energy over time, making them more reliable than wind and sun forecasts used for solar and wind power.
Wave and tidal energy technologies are still immature and involve bespoke, highly engineered systems that must withstand harsh marine environments. Corrosive saltwater and strong tides contribute to making costs for this power significantly higher than other renewable sources. The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, part of the UK’ s national innovation agency, says that tidal energy costs could fall 80 % by 2035 with the right technological developments.
Despite being a relatively new introduction to the energy transition so far, tidal power stations do exist and are successfully generating electricity around the world. sustainabilitymag. com 201