Abstract
Analogously to any energy system, it is interesting to quantify the performance of wave energy devices as the ratio between the energy absorbed and the energy available. This topic is the focus of this chapter. Firstly, it is important to recall the main theoretical results which, although most were obtained over 30 years ago, are often unknown to the wave energy community.
Nonetheless, the range of validity of these results is restricted to a very theoretical context. In the second part of this chapter, we will focus on the energy performance of wave energy converters under realistic conditions. Finally, since in absolute terms the decisive criterion is the cost of energy, we will conclude with a study comparing a selection of wave energy devices from a technical and economic indicators perspective.
This is a chapter from Ocean Wave Energy Conversion: Resource, Technologies and Performance.