The Wave Energy Sector

When entering the field of wave energy utilization it is relevant to ask—why is it important to start utilizing this resource? The reasons for this are shared with other renewable energy sources, such as hydro, wind, solar, biomass and other ocean energy forms such as tidal, currents, thermal and salinity driven systems. The key issues that the use of renewable energy sources can help to overcome includes environmental problems, depletion of the fossil fuels, security of supply and job creation. The environmental problems relates to both local effects such as pollution but also the production of CO2, which is related to energy production using fossil fuels, with the now well established negative effects on climate change as a consequence [1]. The depletion of fossil fuels was already highlighted in publications in the 1950s [2] and it is well established that the fossil fuels are finite and that the time horizon before they are depleted are counted in 10’ths, maybe 100’ths, of years. Thus, it is also obvious that the current level of energy consumption, which is by far majority based on fossil fuels, cannot continue unless alternative sources are developed. And here the renewable energy sources are the most obvious answers, as these resources will be available as long as the sun is shining. But even still while there currently are reasonable amounts of fossil fuels available, the uneven distribution of the resource around the globe is giving rise to conflicts. It can only be expected that this tendency will be worsened as the fossil