What is wave power per meter of crest?

Wave power P (W/m) is the rate of energy transport through a 1-meter-wide vertical slice perpendicular to the wave propagation direction. It is also called wave energy flux or wave power density. Multiplying by the width of a wave energy device gives total available power.

What is the deep-water wave power formula?

For a regular sinusoidal wave in deep water: P = (ρ g² / 32π) × H² × T. For real irregular seas using significant wave height Hs and energy period Te: P = (ρ g² / 64π) × Hs² × Te. With seawater (ρ = 1025 kg/m³), the irregular-sea form is approximately P ≈ 0.5 × Hs² × Te kW/m.

What is the difference between H and Hs?

H (wave height) is the crest-to-trough height of a single regular (monochromatic) wave. Hs (significant wave height) is the average height of the highest third of waves in an irregular sea state — roughly what a trained observer would report. Hs is the standard metric for ocean wave resource assessment.

What is the energy period Te?

The energy period Te (also written T_e or T_{-1,0}) is the spectral moment period that represents the energy-weighted mean period of irregular waves. It is related to the peak period Tp by Te ≈ 0.9 × Tp for a JONSWAP spectrum. Te gives a more accurate power estimate than the peak or zero-crossing period.

Why does this use the deep-water approximation?

The regular-wave deep-water formula uses P = (ρ g² / 32π) × H² × T; the irregular-sea formula uses 64π with significant height Hs and energy period Te. These are applicable when water depth d > λ/2 (roughly d > gT²/4π). For shallow coastal sites, use a dispersion-relation solver.

How do I convert kW/m to MW for a whole farm?

Multiply kW/m by the total device capture width in meters, then divide by 1000 to get MW. For example, 40 kW/m × 500 m total capture width = 20,000 kW = 20 MW. The capture width depends on device efficiency, which varies by technology.

Wave Power Calculator

Enter wave height, period, and water density to compute wave power per meter of wave crest in W/m and kW/m.

Wave Parameters

Formula Mode

Regular sinusoidal wave — P = (ρg² / 32π) × H² × T

Wave Height, H (m) crest-to-trough

Presets:

Wave Period, T (s) time between crests

Presets:

Water Density, ρ (kg/m³)

Results

Enter values and click Calculate

Typical Ocean Wave Power Values

Sea State	Hs (m)	Te (s)	P (kW/m)

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Summary

Wave power (energy flux) is the rate at which mechanical energy travels through a vertical plane aligned with the wave crest. For a regular sinusoidal wave, power per unit crest width is P = (ρ g² / 32π) × H² × T in deep water. For real sea states (irregular waves), the standard formula is P = (ρ g² / 64π) × Hs² × Te, where Hs is significant wave height and Te is energy period. This calculator lets you switch between both modes and shows the result in both W/m and kW/m.

How it works

Select the formula mode: Monochromatic (regular wave) or Real Sea State (JONSWAP).
Enter wave height H in meters — crest-to-trough for monochromatic, significant wave height Hs for sea state.
Enter wave period T in seconds — zero-crossing period for monochromatic, energy period Te for sea state.
Adjust water density if needed (1025 kg/m³ for seawater, 1000 kg/m³ for fresh water).
Click Calculate to get wave power in W/m and kW/m.
The formula panel shows the equation used and intermediate values (g, ρ).

Use cases

Estimate the harvestable energy from a wave resource site for a wave energy converter (WEC).
Compare wave power potential between offshore locations using buoy data.
Cross-check wave atlas values against first-principles calculations.
Solve coastal engineering problems involving wave load and energy transport.
Teach introductory oceanography or renewable energy courses.
Quick field estimate of wave power without a full dispersion-relation solver.
Convert buoy-measured Hs and Te data into power per meter of crest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu