Comment & Debate
“Leave the algae alone”. Low-tech Magazine. 4 Apr. 2008 – “The water issue is not the only ‘detail’ that threatens the energy efficiency of algal fuel. Compared to other plants, the photosynthetic efficiency of algae is high – almost 3 times that of sugar cane for instance. Compared to solar energy, however, the energy efficiency of algae is very low – around 1 percent, while solar panels have an efficiency of at least 10 percent, and solar thermal gets 20 percent and more. So why would we choose algae over solar energy?”