Abstract
The ocean is a gigantic source of renewable and predictable green energy. The ocean alone can provide around 10 TW of energy to the total world energy demand. The ocean energy, in general, and the wave energy, in particular, has gained the attention of researchers because of its huge potential in the past few decades. In most cases, the output power of a single wave energy conversion (WEC) device is low, and these devices need to be connected in a wave farm (WF), like the wind farms, to supply the local load or to interface with the utility grid. This chapter gives a detailed insight into the grid integration of the wave farms. The output power characteristics of a single machine are first analyzed for the later analysis of the combination of multiple machines in a WF. The layout of the WFs is described in this chapter. The WF output may be integrated with the utility grids of varying strengths in terms of its short circuit ratios and impedance angles. Various transmission topologies for connection of the WFs with the offshore utility grids are also discussed. The challenges resulting from the grid intergration, such as the flicker level, the voltage fluctuations, the low voltage ride through capability and the voltage and current harmonic distortions are discussed along with the possible solutions to overcome these difficulties. The recent development in the wave energy sector of Australia is also presented at the end of the chapter.