At low light intensity algae can convert roughly 6% of Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) into biomass in a best case scenario. The theoretical potential (approximately 36% ) cannot be achieved in practice due to limitations of the relevant bio-chemical processes. The maximum photosynthetic efficiency of algae is an active topic of debate.
Nature has adapted to harness solar energy via photosynthesis, which provides the basic energy source for nearly all organisms. The rate or frequency of these responses increases as intensity of the stimulus increases. Plants can also exhibit non-directional responses to stimuli (nastic movements), for example temperature and humidity.
Heliotropism is the basis for rapid and reversible movement in plants, which allows them to track the sun. One of the most commonly observed tropic responses in plants is phototropism, in which plant stems grow towards light. In plants, responses that occur in response to a directional stimulus are called tropisms. The variability in living systems, bred from evolutionary pressures, can take the form of movement with minimal energy consumption. Combining some of nature’s biochemical processes with human engineering (biomimetic) has enabled novel devices to be prototyped. Increasingly scientists and engineers are realising that nature, over many millions of years of evolution, has by necessity developed energy efficient systems.
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