Solar-to-Biomass Conversion Efficiency

Abstract

A maximum theoretical yield in solar-to-biomass conversion can be estimated from the efficiency of the photosynthetic process, considering utilization of all available light. The solar-to-biomass conversion yield is expected to be higher in algae than in terrestrial plants, because algae do not need to consume energy for the development of supporting structures, but all algal biomass is photosynthetically active. However, photosynthetic productivities obtained during mass cultivation of wild type algal strains are far below theoretical calculations, mainly because of light utilization inefficiency.