Hydropower may be the oldest renewable energy but Bourne believes
it has the brightest future. Hydropower is available in almost every country
of the world in at least one of its forms: river currents, tidal flows, ocean waves
and ocean currents. Each has enormous unharnessed potential energy.




The world’s total gross theoretical river power capability is over 40,000 TWh/yr.
EU countries like Austria, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Latvia
produce most of their electricity with hydropower. Estimated Global Tidal Power Potential
is 3,700 GW. Major tidal resources are in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Russia, France
and Great Britain. The total energy generation potential of waves breaking on the
world’s coastline is estimated by the US DOE is at 2-3 million megawatts.
The total worldwide power in ocean currents has been estimated to be about 5,000 GW.

Bourne’s river, tidal and ocean power technologies are based on several key concepts:

1. Adaptability to the largest number of power sites.
2. Energy cost competitive with fossil fuels.
3. Minimal environmental impact.
4. Survivability.
5. Fast track manufacturing and installation.
6. Net Energy.

Bourne believes that Net Energy (EROI), the ratio of the amount of usable energy
acquired from a particular energy resource to the amount of energy expended
to obtain that energy resource, is the key to choosing the best long term
renewable energy. When the EROI of a resource is equal to or lower than 1,
that energy source becomes an "energy sink", and can no longer be used as a
primary source of energy.

The EROI implications for society and civilization are profound. High per-capita
energy use is considered desirable as it is associated with a high standard of
living based on energy-intensive machines. A society will generally exploit the
highest available EROI energy sources first, as these provide the most energy
for the least effort. With non-renewable sources, progressively lower EROI sources
are then used as the higher-quality ones are exhausted. For example, when oil was
originally discovered, it took an average of one barrel of oil to find, extract,
and process about 100 barrels of oil. That ratio has declined steadily over the
last century to about ten barrels for one in Saudi Arabia.

Today, falling EROI due to depletion of non-renewable resources poses a
difficult challenge for industrial economies. Fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas
and oil shale) have all dropped to an EROI of 10 or less. Renewable energies
including solar PV, solar concentrating, ethanol (corn and sugar cane) and
biodiesel all have EROIs below 2. But two renewable sources have EROI’s above
that of fossil fuels: large hydropower at 11 and wind power at 25(onshore)
and 35(offshore).

Bourne’s advantage over hydropower dams includes:

1. By eliminating the dam and reservoir a large part of the total energy from the
energy consumed side of the Net Energy equation is eliminated.

2. Most dams are composed of non-recyclable earthworks and
concrete which are not removable without considerable investment and time.

3. Dam construction is labor, energy and time intensive.

4. Dams and their reservoirs require a large footprint.

5. Dams require long construction times.

6. Reservoirs emit considerable methane and CO2.

7. Reservoirs suffer significant freshwater losses due to evaporation.

8. Dams reduces the amount of sedimentation in the water that is
needed to rebuilds the river.

9. Over time dam silt up reducing their overall performance.

10. Dam's high speed turbines are not fish friendly.




Bourne’s advantage over other hydrokinetic systems:

1. Concentrate all major loads into a small area which allows a simpler,
more robust structure and a reduction in overall unit size and weight.

2. Minimal working parts, parts count and small electrical harness.

3. Small and easily transportable so it can be applied to many smaller
power sites and can be easily expanded in number when needed.

4. Captures the superior hydro-kinetic power near the surface of the river
avoiding the more turbulent lower speed flows near the river bottom.

5. Can operate in shallow water that is a limiting factor in so many tidal sites.

6. Eliminates the possible threat to surface vessels from riverbed pilings
used by other competing systems.

7. Low vertical profile and are "stackable" down a section of the river or
tidal flow and can be configured to fit a variety of project sites.

8. Minimal impact on the seabed because RiverStar and TidalStar modules
do not utilize deep sea moorings, mono-piles, foundations to be held in place
thus avoiding the use of barges, floating cranes or jack-up rigs where costs can rapidly escalate.

9. Does not scour the river bottom like bottom mounted systems.

10. Not limited by the need for pilings which are impractical where the seabed
is rocky and the currents too strong for piling barges.

11. Minimal hydrodynamic design structure minimizes flow disturbances
and hence vibration and unfavorable dynamic effects upon the unit.

12. The high tension horizontal mooring system features of the RiverStar
waterlogged tree stumps, etc - sliding across the river bottom.

13. Avoids the most dangerous debris - steel drums, sheet metal and cables,
and TidalStar modules make them easier and less expensive to install and maintain.

14. Uses a lower RPM, lower aspect, thicker core turbine specially designed
to reduce impact loads.

15. The float/mooring system gives each device built-in flexibility when struck
by debris, reducing shock loads.




Bourne’s advantage over wind power includes:

1. The have predictable annual power output for any site before installation,
unlike wind and solar.

2. With its 100% operating capacity, Bourne’s systems produce approximately 400% more
power per year, and more carbon credits, than the same size wind farm.

3. Wind energy operates at capacity only an average of 25% of the time.
The installation of wind power always needs backup power for the periods
during the 75% they are not operating at capacity.

4. RiverStar uses approximately 10 acres of river surface per MW while wind requires
roughly 200 acres of unobstructed land per megawatt of nameplate capacity.

5. RiverStar has flip-up struts that allows quick service of turbines and generators.
Versus wind turbines due to their extreme height are far more difficult to service or repair.

6. RiverStar has no noise or light emissions unlike wind.

7. RiverStar units collapse into highly transportable modules unlike wind power
which can need special roads to transport the long towers and heavy turbines.

8. RiverStar units are self-contained modules which only need the high tension
horizontal mooring/power transmission line to be attached to both sides of river site,
unlike wind farms require considerable construction on site – foundations,
raising the tower and generator and wiring.

9. Composed of small parts and designed to be mass-produced in automotive plants, unlike
Wind power generators that require the fabrication of huge steel castings for the gearbox
and hub support, massive composite turbine blades and complex electrical and hydraulic harness,
large steel reinforced concrete foundations.