Electricity obtained from sea water is one of the most reliable clean sources of energy and now it’s set to become one of the most affordable ones. The proof lies in the SeaRaser project, belonging to the UK alternative energy company Ecotricity – more low-cost even than fossil fuels.
Devon Energy engineer Alvin Smith is responsible for bringing this amazing system to the world, which is also quite simple: two buoys go up and down in the ocean and as they do this, they gush water through a pipe communicating onshore. I told you it was simple!
Besides being simple, the system is also smart: it thought about avoiding the usual corrosiveness issue by placing most of its fancy electrical components onshore. This way, they don’t get tainted by water or destroyed by harsh winds and repairs are performed quicker.
Speaking of onshore equipment, the project has the possibility to store water in a tank for a hydropower turbine to harness, which would provide even more energy to the grid. Funding is eagerly awaited at Ecotricity, so that 2014 finds them with a new product at hand. We, on the other side, have yet to witness a great way of producing energy.
[via Inhabitat]
