What could be more ideal than to use the abundant oceans on both of Costa Rica's coastlines to identify alternative forms of generating electricity?

The oceans waves might be used in the future to generate electricity. Generating electricity from the constant motion of the sea is an emerging technology that may have commercial potential in the future.

The technology involves a cylindrical device encased in a rubber-like material called an "artificial muscle," that will be strapped to a buoy and launched in the ocean. A large commercial system might involve hundreds of larger buoys linked together, floating a few miles offshore and capable of generating 1,000 watts of power. The power can be stored in a battery aboard the buoy and transmitted to distribution facilities on land through an underwater power line.

The key element in the design is a polymer or low-cost rubber that has the complexity of a rubber band. The sheet of polymer is tied to a weight, which expands and contracts the polymer as the buoy moves up and down with each wave. Each movement is converted into about 5 watts of electricity, which can be stored in a battery aboard the buoy. Think of the artificial muscle as a spring with a weight on it. As the spring expands from the wave, it captures energy from the wave. As it contracts, it releases that energy into either a battery or some other storage device.

The waves in Costa Rica are certainly big enough to generate currents strong enough for a commercial-scale system. If you could capture a significant portion of the energy from the ocean, eventually a system like this could power the entire country. Wave power is more expensive than coal-and-gas fired power, but it produces no greenhouse gas emissions and requires no fuel. This could be a valuable tool in meeting President Oscar Arias' new mandate to lower greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy sources in Costa Rica.

My Comments From: tim 07 Aug 2007, 11:16 am Nice posting, Tom. Now, if only more coastal areas could incorporate the  technology within their energy programs. Maybe in our lifetimes? -Tim-