Overview
IEC TS 62600-101:2015-"Marine energy – Wave, tidal and other water current converters – Part 101: Wave energy resource assessment and characterization"-establishes a systematic framework for estimating, analysing and reporting the wave energy resource at sites considered for Wave Energy Converters (WECs). The Technical Specification applies at all stages of site assessment, from preliminary investigations through detailed project design, and when used with IEC TS 62600-100 (WEC performance) enables estimation of annual energy production (AEP) for a WEC or WEC array.
Key Topics and Requirements
The standard defines practical procedures, technical topics and minimum requirements for robust wave energy resource assessment:
- Classes of resource assessment - guidance on study scope and stages from screening to detailed design.
- Study planning & data collection - site definition, bathymetry resolution, existing data review, and measurement programmes.
- Wave measurement requirements - instrument selection, calibration, deployment, redundancy and analysis methods.
- Supporting environmental data - wind, tide, currents, ice coverage, water density and gravitational acceleration.
- Numerical modelling - model selection, boundary conditions, nearshore modelling, array effects, validation, tuning and calibration.
- Measure–Correlate–Predict (MCP) techniques - procedures to extend short-term measurements to long-term resource estimates.
- Data analysis - use of two‑dimensional wave spectra, omni‑directional and directionally resolved wave power, characteristic wave height/period, spectral width and wave system partitioning.
- Uncertainty & validation - quantification of measurement and modelling uncertainties, sensitivity analysis and long‑term variability.
- Reporting & archiving - technical report content, digital databases, maps (e.g., wave power roses, scatter tables) and study point presentation.
Applications and Users
IEC TS 62600-101 is practical for:
- Wave energy developers and project engineers conducting site selection, resource characterisation and AEP estimation.
- Hydrodynamic modellers validating and tuning wave models for nearshore and array-scale studies.
- Consultants and surveyors designing measurement campaigns and processing wave buoy or radar data.
- Investors, planners and regulators needing consistent, defensible resource assessments for permitting, financing and environmental review.
- Insurers and asset owners assessing resource uncertainty and long‑term variability risk.
Related Standards
- IEC TS 62600-100 (WEC performance) - complements Part 101 by linking resource data to device performance and energy yield calculations.
- Other IEC marine-energy documents and IEC publication guidance are relevant for implementation, reporting and terminology.
Keywords: IEC TS 62600-101, wave energy resource assessment, WEC, wave power, wave measurement, numerical modelling, MCP, resource characterization, uncertainty.