The Motion of the Ocean

The energy from the same ocean waves that push surfers to shore can be harnessed to power light bulbs.

In fact, researchers believe that by harnessing just 0.2 percent of the ocean's power that could be enough to power light bulbs around the world.

Engineers at Oregon State University have taken the first steps towards generating power from waves. They have built a buoy system capable of capturing the ocean's power in the form of offshore swells, and converting it into electricity. One system bobs two miles offshore and is called the permanent magnet linear generator buoy.

Inside the buoy, an electric coil wraps around a magnetic shaft, which is attached to the sea floor. The coil is secured to the buoy, and it bobs up and down with the swells while the shaft stays in a fixed place. This movement generates electricity.

Each buoy could potentially produce 250 kilowatts of power, according to researchers, and the technology could be scaled up or down to suit the needs of the people on shore. Researchers estimate it would only take about 200 of these buoys to provide enough electricity to run the business district of downtown Portland.

Wave power is 15 to 20 years behind other clean energies, like wind and solar power. However, it is more predictable, available and energy-dense than wind.

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--Bjorn Carey

Credit: Nicolle Rager Fuller, National Science Foundation