Assessing and modeling annual patterns in wave energy resources off Canary archipelago

Abstract

© 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, London.Time variability of wave energy available at a given zone has important implications in planning, design and operation of wave energy converters, as well as for energy production and supply management. Then, improvements in knowledge on the mean annual pattern of wave energy conditions are of concern in such applications. This study aims to introduce a simple and efficient methodology to assess and model annual patterns in wave power availability. The suggested procedure is applied in waters around Canary Islands giving statistically based evidence of annual pattern existence, or not, and its functional structure in terms of Fourier components. To this end, data sets of three-hourly data of significant wave height and peak period, estimated by means of a hindcast approach, extending from 1958 to 2001, for six points around Canary Islands, have been used.