In todays climate, finding an alternative to the fossil fuels we depend upon has become an issue of the uppermost importance, from both an environmental point of view and an economic one.

A lesser known alternative energy currently undergoing massive research and development is the generation of energy obtained from the power of the ocean or as its more commonly referred to “Ocean Power”.

The production of energy from the worlds oceans can be achieved in 3 different ways.

1. Tidal Power: Similar in principal to the production of hydroelectricity via dams, energy can be created by trapping water at high tide and then catching the energy given off when the water rushes out at low tide.
2. Wave Power: The too and for or up and down movements of waves can be harnessed to form energy, much like wind power. Essentially the movement of waves across something like a turbine or a piston creates energy which is then stored in generators.
3. Water Temperature: In a process known as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, OTEC for short, energy is harvested form the flow of heat between the colder deep areas of the ocean and the warmer surface areas.

Still in its infancy Ocean Power is not very popular at the moment, mainly due to the large amounts of money need to set up infrastructure (ie massive arrays would need to be set up to harvest wave power), but as companies are investing more time into researching alternative energy, ocean power is gaining in popularity and as costs lessen, it looks set to become one of the largest alternative energy sources we will be employing and depending on in our day to day lives.

Related articles Review of DIY Solar Power Kits.