Climate change mitigation requires a shift from fossil energy resources to renewables, and bioenergy crops are considered one of the major potential resources. At the same time future energy supplies ar. It is commonly agreed that the combat against climate change requires a fundamental change in t. 2.1. PhotosynthesisBioenergy essentially exploits solar energy conserved in biomass and requires partial or complete decomposition of the biomass or its individual c. The overall theoretical efficiency of C3 and C4 plant production (photosynthesis + respiration) is 4.6% and 6.0% respectively, when estimated at 30 °C and the present atmospheric CO. We thank Hanne Nina Rasmussen and Poul Erik Jensen, both University of Copenhagen, for valuable comments and suggestions to the manuscript. The research present. 1.REN21. Renewables 2015 Global Status Report. Paris, FR: REN21 Secretariat; 2015.Google Scholar2.Nakada S, Say.
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Another promising avenue of research for the transformation of solar energy into multicarbon biofuels that should be investigated is the conversion of solar heat into reducing equivalents, which could then be used to drive the biological reduction of CO 2 [ 124 ].
What are the applications of biomimetic and biological energy conversion?
One area clearly in need of new technologies is biological and biomimetic methods of energy conversion. Within this broad area, focus was given to two specific applications: the conversion of solar energy into useful electrical or chemical energy and the production of power for in vivo medical devices.
Can phototrophic microorganisms convert solar energy into bioenergy?
Phototrophic microorganisms (microbial phototrophs) can be a potential tool for efficient conversion of the virtually unlimited supply of solar energy into bioenergy and renewable materials [, , ] (Fig. 1). These microorganisms have a photosynthetic efficiency (~12%) that is much higher than terrestrial biomass (1.8–2.2%) [5, 6].
The significance of PE is reliant on how light energy is defined. Actual sunlight where between photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) is only 45% and 48% of light, the theoretical maximum efficiency of solar energy conversion is between 11% and 12% (110 W.m −2 to 120 W.m −2).
Could a combination of solar energy production systems be beneficial?
This suggests that a combination of the two energy production systems would allow for a full utilization of the solar spectrum allowing both the production of chemical and electrical energy from the one facility making efficient use of available land and solar energy.
Are bioenergy conversion technologies a sustainable economic model?
As resource scarcity and environmental degradation intensify, advancements in energy conversion technologies become crucial for a sustainable economic model. Currently dependent on fossil fuels, the global economy must shift to a sustainable framework focused on bioenergy.