A high resolution geospatial database for wave energy exploitation

Abstract

The estimation of energy production of a given WEC (wave energy converter) at a given coastal site is thebasis for correct decision-making regarding wave energy exploitation in a coastal region. Nevertheless,the procedure followed by the conventional approach to characterize the wave energy resource does notprovide the required information to obtain an accurate estimate. In this work, this information is providedfor the region with the greatest resource in the Iberian Peninsula, the Death Coast (NW Spain). Forthis purpose, a geospatial database is produced by using a methodology which involves the considerationof virtually the totality of the resource together with the implementation of a high resolution spectralnumerical model. In addition, a Matlab-based toolbox called WEDGE (Wave Energy Diagram GEnerator)is implemented to access the database and automatically generate high resolution energy diagrams (orcharacterization matrices) of the wave energy resource at any coastal location within this region. In thisway, a precise computation of energy production of any WEC at any site of interest can now be performed.Finally, the functionality of the database is shown through a case study of a recently proposedwave farm.