What is tidal stream power?
Q: What is tidal stream power?
A: Tidal stream power is electricity generated from the tidal movement of water.
Q: What is a tidal stream generator?
A: A tidal stream generator is a machine that extracts energy from moving water in tides.
Q: How do tidal stream generators draw energy from water currents?
A: Tidal stream generators draw energy from water currents in the same way that wind turbines draw energy from air currents.
Q: What makes tidal stream power a cheaper and less ecologically damaging source of power generation?
A: Tidal stream power is the cheapest and the least ecologically damaging among the three main forms of tidal power generation.
Q: When was tidal stream power first conceived?
A: Tidal stream power was first conceived in the 1970s during the oil crisis.
Q: Why can an individual tidal turbine generate more power than a similarly rated wind energy turbine?
A: The potential for power generation by an individual tidal turbine can be greater than that of similarly rated wind energy turbines due to water being about 800 times the density of air, which allows water to provide more power than air pushing against a similar turbine at the same speed.
Q: Where should tidal stream systems be located?
A: Tidal stream systems need to be located in areas with fast currents where natural flows are concentrated between obstructions, for example at the entrances to bays and rivers, around rocky points, headlands, or between islands or other land masses.
