A lot of people attack the sea, I make love to it.
-Jacques Yves Cousteau

Tidal energy is more predictable than solar energy and wind energy because we already know that cycles of high and low tides are twice a day. We all just might begin to love the sea as it helps in producing alternative energy.

A tidal energy generator is installed to capture the energy of the tide coming in and the tide going using turbines. These large underwater turbines use the force of millions of gallons of water coming in and out to produce electricity.

Advantages of tidal power

*Abundant, clean, and safe
*Tides are very reliable

Although the energy supply is reliable and plentiful, converting it into useful electrical power is not easy.

Disadvantages of tidal power

*Not commercially viable at present
*Shipping could be disrupt
*Turbines may be hazardous to marine life

Even with these disadvantages, tidal energy is becoming more popular. As the technology of the turbines increase and they become more efficient, areas previously deemed to have too slow of a current are becoming viable spots to place tidal energy generators.

I haven’t seen a plan that incorporates tidal energy into the overall energy solution, but as we move forward to a more comprehensive strategy of incorporating all types of alternative energies, I am absolutely positive that tidal power will be included.

How Tidel Power Works

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Tags: Alternative Energy, tidal energy

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 10:02 pm and is filed under Alternative Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.