Recent Advances in Wave and Hydrokinetic Energy Technologies

Wave and hydrokinetic energies (W&H), including tidal, estuarine, and river currents, hold significant potential to contribute to the zero-emission plans set by different countries. By offering high predictability and complementarity to other variable renewable resources like wind and solar, they can be a strategic asset for balancing the electrical grid or supplying remote communities disconnected from the main grid.Despite significant development in recent years, W&H technologies have not yet reached widespread commercialization. Technical challenges for large-scale utilization include high capital costs, uncertainties about their cumulative environmental impacts, and the harsh environmental conditions to which the technologies are subjected in the water. They must be able to withstand strong waves or tides and, whenever possible, produce power efficiently to reduce associated costs.This Research Topic aims to capture state-of-the-art advancements in wave and hydrokinetic energies and to present a broad panorama of ongoing research across the globe. The focus is on uncovering solutions that can accelerate the transition from a fossil-fueled global economy to one grounded in renewable energy. Contributors are invited to address the technical, environmental, and integration challenges that stand between current solutions and widespread commercialization, as well as to consider multidisciplinary approaches and novel strategies for the co-location and hybridization of energy technologies.To gather further insights into the most promising directions and practical boundaries of wave and hydrokinetic energy development, we welcome articles addressing the following themes and related topics:• Fluid dynamics underlying wave and hydrokinetic energy conversion• Resource assessment on regional and global scales• Novel concepts and devices for the efficient conversion of W&H energies into electrical power• Advances in equipment and subsystem design and control for optimal energy extraction• Strategies for integrating wave energy with different types of hydrokinetic energy• Hybrid systems, or co-location studies, combining wave, hydrokinetic, wind, and/or solar power• Grid-scale integration of W&H energies• Capabilities of W&H energies to provide power to remote, isolated communities Topic editors: Paula B. Garcia-Rosa, Milad Shadman, Raad Qassim Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79647/recent-advances-in-wave-and-hydrokinetic-energy-technologies