Can we generate electricity from the temperature difference between ocean layers?
The ocean stores more solar energy in its surface layer than humanity uses in a year - and we can extract it using the cold water below.
The answer
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) exploits the temperature difference between warm surface water (25 to 28°C in the tropics) and cold deep water (4 to 5°C at 1,000 meters). A minimum temperature differential of 20°C is needed for efficient operation. The concept was first proposed by French physicist Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval in 1881. The first working plant was built in Cuba in 1930 by his student Georges Claude. The Makai Ocean Engineering facility in Hawaii, operational since 2015, demonstrated a 100-kilowatt closed-cycle system. OTEC's total global potential exceeds 10 terawatts - far more than current human energy consumption. As a byproduct, OTEC brings nutrient-rich deep water to the surface, potentially boosting aquaculture and producing fresh desalinated water.
Source: NOAA
- OTEC
- ocean energy
- renewable technology
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