In wave-energy-rich Ireland, researchers study marine noise

Wind and wave energy might be clean and renewable, but they’re not without their downsides. Land-based wind turbines create noise and vibrations that bother some people to the point their complaints have been dubbed “wind turbine syndrome.” If the science behind those complaints is still poorly understood, even less is known about the potential impacts of wave-energy devices on marine life.

What is known is that sea creatures from tiny mantis shrimp to giant sperm whales rely on sound to communicate and navigate, and that noise pollution in the oceans can interfere with these efforts. So there’s a legitimate concern that plunking more noise-makers — in the form of wave-energy technologies — into the sea could wreak havoc with some species.

“Underwater noise is a global environmental issue that has to be addressed if we are to take advantage of the huge potential of ocean energy,” said Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the EU’s Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science .

To gain a better understanding of what the impacts of wave-energy collection could be on marine life, and how to minimize those impacts, researchers with The Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI) and IBM have begun working together to monitor underwater device noise in real time. They then plan to run the data they gather through advanced analytics software to develop a clearer picture of noise related to wave-energy machines.

The first-of-its-kind research project “represents a significant step toward the ability to successfully and sustainably utilize the ocean as a new renewable energy resource,” according to IBM.

Ireland is an ideal place in which to conduct that research, as its west coast features one of the largest concentrations of wave energy in the world. That nation has been working to develop technologies to harness that energy as a way to meet renewable energy targets set by the European Union.

“While the issue of environmentally sound, renewable energy resources is clearly of global importance, the demand in Ireland is particularly great,” said Katharine Frase, IBM’s vice president of Industries Research. “In 2010, Ireland imported approximately 86 percent of its energy, the vast majority of which was fossil fuels, and the European Renewables Directive has set a target for Ireland to source 16 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020.”

The IBM-SEAI research project will first use sensing platforms and cloud-based advanced analytics to monitor wave conditions, acoustics, marine life and pollution levels in and around Galway Bay. A full-scale, grid-connected test site on Ireland’s west coast is also under development.

Once it’s fully operational, the project is expected to produce one of the largest continuous collections of underwater acoustic data ever captured. The data are expected to help not only with development of wave energy, but with shipping and offshore oil and gas development as well.

Eventually, researchers hope to be able to develop an analytical platform for ocean energy monitoring that can also tie in with other smart-grid technologies.