Abstract
The Great Lakes environment consists of sea states that provide a suitable environment to test innovative wave energy technologies and contribute developments towards globally applicable solutions for climate resilient coastal communities. Where solar and wind power offer substantial energy production in many regions, marine energy enables unique advantages that robustify energy security while addressing multiple threats from climate change. This “blue” energy diversifies a community’s access to clean energy and provides methods to protect cultural and community resources in coastal communities across the Great Lakes region and worldwide. As one example to protect against climate change threats, marine energy capture holds an immense opportunity to create community resilience and protect coastlines from increasing erosion. This project investigates the changes to the Great Lakes wave climate and explores options for how coastal communities, infrastructure, and natural coastlines can adapt and integrate wave energy technology solutions to build community resilience in these growing climate crises. As part of this, the discussion will highlight Froude scaling Great Lakes sea states and wave energy converters to other globally relevant locations and establishing these local efforts as a blueprint for global development and implementation. On Lake Superior, approximately 70% of sea states have wave periods between 3-5 seconds and significant wave heights less than 1.5 meters. Over the course of a year, average wave power densities range from 1-5 kW/m. Occasional storms expose vulnerable coastlines and communities to much more energetic conditions, including wave heights greater than 4 meters and wave power densities of approximately 60 kW/m. Using testing sites on the western shores of Lake Superior, we explore wave energy converter designs that integrate into existing coastal infrastructure, harnessing wave power and converting into usable energy while reducing wave impact and intensity to protect vulnerable coastal communities. We ultimately seek to engage communities in adaptation strategies, especially as winters warm and extreme wave events impact coastlines, and provide new opportunities for communities to manage interactions with the Great Lakes environment and beyond.