Ocean thermal energy conversion
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a renewable energy technology that harnesses the temperature difference between the warm surface waters of the ocean and the cold depths to run a heat engine to produce electricity. It is a unique form of clean energy generation that has the potential to provide a consistent and sustainable source of power. Although it has challenges to overcome, OTEC has the potential to provide a consistent and sustainable source of clean energy, particularly in tropical regions with access to deep ocean water.
French engineer Georges Claude conducting a demonstration on ocean thermal energy conversion at the Institut de France in 1926
View of a land based OTEC facility at Keahole Point on the Kona coast of Hawaii
India – pipes used for OTEC (left) and floating OTEC plant constructed in 2000 (right)
Diagram of a closed cycle OTEC plant
Renewable energy is energy from renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human timescale. Using renewable energy technologies helps with climate change mitigation, energy security, and also has some economic benefits. Commonly used renewable energy types include solar energy, wind power, hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal power. Renewable energy installations can be large or small. They are suited for urban as well as rural areas. Renewable energy is often deployed together with further electrification. This has several benefits: electricity can move heat or objects efficiently, and is clean at the point of consumption. Variable renewable energy sources are those that have a fluctuating nature, such as wind power and solar power. In contrast, controllable renewable energy sources include dammed hydroelectricity, bioenergy, or geothermal power.
A small, roof-top mounted PV system in Bonn, Germany
Komekurayama photovoltaic power station in Kofu, Japan
Burbo, NW-England
Sunrise at the Fenton Wind Farm in Minnesota, United States