Integrating wind and wave energy conversion

This paper presents a scenario where wind and wave energy conversion techniques are collocated, enhancing per unit energy cost. Wave energy is one of the largest renewable resources in the world, but is largely untapped. By capitalizing on the already proven structural components of offshore wind conversion systems, efficient wave turbines could be implemented for lower total cost, and lower per unit energy cost, than if the two systems were separate. In this paper, we propose further integration of wave energy conversion with off-shore wind energy. The benefits of this synergy are illustrated based on the spatially overlapping two resources — wind and wave.