Wave energy resources near Hot Springs Cove, Canada

Abstract

Hot Springs Cove on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada is an off-grid community of approximately 80 residents reliant on diesel fuelled electricity generation. Recent concerns with on site diesel based electricity generation have prompted interest in renewable alternatives, including wave energy. To help evaluate the feasibility of deploying ocean wave energy conversion technologies near Hot Springs Cove, a preliminary assessment of the area's near-shore wave energy resources was performed. A near-shore wave model, utilizing a transfer function approach, was used to estimate wave conditions from 2005 to 2013 at a 3 h time-step. Spectral wave data from NOAA's Wavewatch3 model were used as model input boundary conditions. The wave spectra resulting from the near-shore model were parameterized to indicate the magnitude and frequency-direction distribution of energy within each sea-state. Yearly mean values as well as monthly variation of each of the spectral parameters are plotted to indicate the spatial variation of the wave climate. A site in 50 m of water, appropriate for a 2-body point absorber, was selected based on a number of generic constraints and objectives. This site is used to illustrate the temporal variation of the spectral parameters within each month of the year. The average annual wave energy at the reference location is 31 kW/m, with a minimum (maximum) monthly average of 7.5 (60.5) kW/m. The magnitude of this resource is significantly greater than other high profile sites in Europe such as the WaveHub and EMEC, and indicates that the Hot Springs Cove region may be a good candidate for wave energy development.