Feasibility of WEC installations for domestic and public electrical supplies: A case study off the Calabrian coast. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aristodemo, Francesco; Algieri Ferraro, Danilo
• Is Part Of: Renewable energy. Volume 121(2018)
• Page Start: 261
• Page End: 285
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Wave energy -- ECMWF data -- Full-scale and downscaled WECs -- Electricity production -- Electricity supplies -- Spatial arrangement of WECs; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Énergies renouvelables -- Périodiques; Ressources énergétiques -- Périodiques; 333.794
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2018.01.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-1481

Abstract

Abstract: This paper presents a performance evaluation of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) in terms of electricity production for domestic and public supplies of coastal towns located near hot spot areas. The study was conducted off the coast of Calabria (Southern Italy), a Mediterranean region characterized by a mild wave climate which is quite representative of mean sea states in the Mediterranean basin. The wave energy potential was assessed in deep waters by means of ECMWF wave data validated against RON buoys and UKMO data. Thirteen types of offshore WECs were considered, comparing the performances of full-scale and downscaled devices in terms of yearly and seasonal mean electricity production and operating days. Based on the domestic electricity supplies and those related to the public plants of some selected coastal cities, the number of differently sized devices was calculated in order to satisfy the above needs. To preserve the wave energy production level, the spatial arrangement of wave energy farms was determined in order to minimize possible park effects. The obtained results highlight that the occurrence of offshore WEC farms in a typical Mediterranean zone can lead to a significant number of WECs for domestic and public electricity supplies with a progressive reduction for more energetic sites. Highlights: Performance evaluation of 13 offshore WECs in terms of electricity production for domestic and public supplies of towns close to hot spot areas. The methodology is applied off the coast of Calabria (Southern Italy), a representative region of mean sea states in the Mediterranean basin. ECMWF wave data, validated against RON buoys and UKMO data, are considered to assess the wave energy. The number and the spatial arrangement of wave farms made by different devices are defined as a function of public and domestic electricity needs.