Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) existed in the last decade was built in
1930 by Georges Claude, after the thermal energy of the ocean was tapped by
Jacques Arsene D‘Arsonval in 1881. However, the technology was put on-halt and
discontinued from being developed wisely for realistic application. Since ocean
covers more than 70% of the earth's surface, this makes them as the world largest
solar collectors for thermal energy creation. The technology generates energy by
using the difference of temperature in an ocean with least environmental impact
and high sustainability. In this case study, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah has been selected
as main location to investigate the geographical criteria, social acceptance and the
technical of OTEC as energy generator and feasibility. The research used a mixed
method for both data collection and data analysis. This study proved that the
application of OTEC in Sabah brings a lot of benefits such as social acceptance,
sustainability and energy efficiency compared to fossil fuels. As a conclusion, the
OTEC might become one of the main energy sources for people living in Sabah.
Transition from fossil to renewable energy, particularly the application of OTEC
could be expanded and generalized, to harvest more energy in the coastal areas of
all places around the world.
