A greater emphasis has been placed on renewable energy sources and the need for clean energy as a result of climate change’s growing danger. This has sped up the development of new energy-harnessing techniques like tidal power.
Hydropower in the form of tidal power has enormous potential to power the world in the future.
In this post, we’ll examine some of the most significant tidal energy benefits and drawbacks, as well as what the future holds for this clean energy source.
Tidal energy pros and cons
Tidal power has advantages and disadvantages of its own, just like any other form of energy. Here are the key benefits and drawbacks of tidal energy:
Pros and drawbacks of tidal energy
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Renewable | Limited site availability |
| Zero-carbon emissions | Expensive |
| Predictable energy generation | Environmental impact |
| High power output | Energy demand |
What is tidal energy?
Tidal power is a type of renewable energy that converts energy from the ocean’s shifting tides and currents into usable electricity. Tidal barrages, tidal stream generators, and tidal gates are a few examples of the various technologies that can be used to harness tide power.
It is crucial to comprehend how a turbine can capture the kinetic energy contained within the tides for energy production since tidal turbines are used in all of these different types of tidal energy facilities.
Similar to how wind turbines harvest wind energy, tidal turbines harness tidal energy. The turbine’s blades are propelled by the flowing water as the tides and currents fluctuate. A generator is turned by the turbine, which then generates energy.
Advantages of tidal energy
1. Renewable
Tidal energy is a renewable energy source, meaning that it doesn’t run out as it is consumed.
Therefore, by using the energy that the tides produce as they change, you don’t reduce their capacity to do so in the future. The sun and moon’s gravitational pull, which governs the tides, won’t disappear any time soon.
2. Zero carbon emissions
Tidal power plants provide electricity without producing any greenhouse gases, making them a renewable energy source.
Finding zero-emission energy sources is more crucial than ever because they are one of the main contributors to climate change.
3. Predictable
Currents at the tide line are very predictable. Knowing when power will be produced throughout the day is made simpler by the fact that low and high tides follow well-established cycles.
Since the strength of the tides and currents can be precisely predicted, it also makes it simple to know how much power will be generated by turbines.
4. High power output
Power facilities that use the tides can generate a lot of electricity. Water is over 800 times more thick than air, which is one of the main causes of this.
This means that compared to a wind turbine of equal size, a tidal turbine will generate significantly more energy.
Additionally, due to its density, water can power a turbine even at low rates. So even in less than perfect water conditions, tidal turbines have the capacity to generate enormous amounts of electricity.
Disadvantages of tidal energy
1. Limited installation sites
The proposed installation site for a tidal power plant must satisfy a number of strict standards before construction can begin. They must be situated on a coastline, which restricts the states that are along the coast as prospective station locations.
A suitable site must also fulfill other criteria. For instance, locations where the height difference between high and low tide is sufficient to drive turbines must be chosen for tidal power stations.
This restricts the locations where the power plants can be built, making it challenging to apply tidal power generally.
2. Expensive
The high initial expenses of tidal power are one of its main disadvantages. Because water has a higher density than air, tidal energy turbines must be far more robust than wind turbines. Depending on the technology they employ, different tidal power producing plants have different construction costs.
Tidal barrages, which are essentially low-walled dams, are the main building material of the majority of the tidal power plants that are currently in use. Due to the necessity to install a large concrete structure as well as turbines, building a tidal barrage is very expensive.
One of the main reasons tidal power has been sluggish to catch on is the cost barrier.
3. Environmental effects
Tidal energy is not entirely environmentally beneficial, even though it is renewable. The ecosystem in the immediate area may be significantly impacted by the building of tidal energy generating plants.
Tidal turbines experience the same problem with marine life collisions as wind turbines do with birds. Fish and other aquatic life may swim into turbine blades as they rotate, causing severe harm or even death. Tidal turbines also produce low-level underwater noise that is detrimental to marine creatures like seals.
Even more damaging to the surrounding ecosystem are tidal barrages. They not only result in the same issues that turbines on their own do, but they also have an impact that is comparable to that of dams. Tidal barrages disrupt fish migration and result in flooding that permanently alters the landscape.
4. Energy demand
While tidal power does generate predictable amounts of electricity, it doesn’t do so continuously. While the exact timing of the tidal power plant’s electricity production is known, the supply and demand for energy may not coincide.
For instance, tidal electricity will be generated about noon if high tide is at that time. The morning and evenings typically have the highest energy consumption, with the middle of the day having the lowest demand.
Therefore, despite producing all of this electricity, the tidal power plant won’t be required. In order to maximize the use of the energy it generates, tidal power would need to be coupled with battery storage.
The future of tidal power
The potential for tidal power is enormous, particularly as cutting-edge technologies like dynamic tidal power continue to be developed.
Less than 10 tidal power plants are now in operation throughout the world. Rance Tidal Power Station and Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station, the two most well-known tidal power facilities, each generate enough tidal energy to provide 94,507 houses in the United States with electricity for a whole year. In addition to being a sizable amount of electricity, the energy generated is dependable and carbon-free.
However, there are few ideal locations for tidal power plants, large upfront expenditures, and they can have a significant influence on the local ecosystem. Hopefully, as science and technology advance, we will be able to utilize the energy that the tides store.
In the interim, you may think about switching to solar power if you want to start eschewing fossil fuels right immediately. A solar panel system can completely eliminate your electric cost in addition to reducing your carbon footprint.
Pros and drawbacks of tidal energy Ratings