By Derek Markham, Source: Treehugger

In the quest for another renewable energy source that can potentially provide a constant source of carbon-free power, researchers at UC Berkeley are working on extracting the energy of ocean waves, and looking to use a hydraulic seafloor ‘carpet’ to harvest and convert it to usable energy. After all, the sun goes down, and the winds die, but the waves just keep coming, so ocean energy could be a feasible option for clean renewable energy in areas near the coast.

Reza Alam, an assistant professor at UC Berkely and an expert in wave mechanics, is working on a wave-to-energy ‘carpet’ that uses a thin sheet of rubber on the seafloor, sitting on top of a system of hydraulic actuators, which are then pumped by using the motion of the carpet in the waves. The resulting hydraulic pressure is piped to shore for conversion to usable energy, allowing for the harvesting of power from the ocean with minimal visual and physical impact on both sea life and boats on the surface.

“There is a vast amount of untapped energy in the oceans, and with increasing worldwide demand for power, the need to find cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels is critical. We are also seeing greater population growth along coastal cities, so the ocean-based system we are developing would produce electricity in a carbon-neutral way right where it is needed.” – Alam

Read the reast at: Treehugger