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 / 64π) × H² × T. For real irregular seas using significant wave height Hs and energy period Te the same form applies: P = (ρ g² / 64π) × Hs² × Te. With seawater (ρ = 1025 kg/m³) this simplifies approximately to 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 deep-water formula P = (ρ g² / 64π) × H² × T is accurate when water depth d > λ/2 (roughly d > gT²/4π). For a 10-second wave that threshold is about 39 m. Most open-ocean wave resource sites are deeper, so the deep-water formula is standard for resource assessment. 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

Name: Wave Power Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

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 / 64π) × 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

Enter wave height, period, and water density to compute wave power per meter of wave crest in 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