Abstract
As the global interest in renewable energy generation continues, the need to develop new and innovative solutions is being explored every day throughout the world by researchers and innovators. Hybrid renewable energy innovations are gaining progressive interest not only because of the threat of climate change but also due to the technological advancements seen in renewables. Ocean waves have immense potential as a renewable energy source, and related technologies have advanced continuously over the past few decades. In response, this paper extensively studies wave energy converters (WECs) based on the power take-off (PTO) technique, and presents a novel hybrid wave-plus-photon energy (HWPE) harvester called Wavevoltaics, based on wave and solar energy capture systems for coastal communities’ power needs, in line with decarbonization measures. The HWPE harvester uses a simple rack-and-pinion mechanism in combination with solar cell technology to convert the wave energy into usable electrical energy in a water column structural design. This novel HWPE device can be used to provide power for lighting and gadgets for coastal communities that rely heavily on fossil fuels for their lighting and electrical needs. Later in the paper, the challenges faced in hybrid wave energy development are presented.
Highlights
With the increasing energy demand trend, fossil fuels (FFs) have an immense negative impact on a global scale
The results demonstrate a trade-off between the maximum electrical output and the size required for the wave energy converters (WECs) to withstand high loads and fatigue durations
A detailed review was carried out on the wave energy devices based on power take-off technology
Summary
With the increasing energy demand trend, fossil fuels (FFs) have an immense negative impact on a global scale. Renewable energies are being systematically studied and introduced as a way to combat the ever-increasing global energy demand and to reduce CO2 Owing to their non-polluting nature and eco-friendliness, solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal are some examples of available renewable energy resources (RERs) that are being used to harvest green and clean energy [3]. Solar PV and wind power, as in previous years, accounted for the majority of new renewable energy additions. While ocean energy has immense resource potential, the technologies are in the growth phase [3], and the main focus of development areas is tidal and wave energy. The primary goal of this article is to critically evaluate the current technologies, and suggest a hybrid wave–solar energy converter that is best suited for island nations and coastal communities
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