Is it really carbon net negative through the whole lifecycle? What happens to the carbon when the algae dies? What happens when the system gets decommissioned?
For the electricity, it's cool that this works at all, as opposed to turning the algae into fuel. I wonder what the efficiency is, and what maintenance is like. Presumably you wouldn't use something like this for home power, but only at commercial plants that are staffed and regularly maintaijed / gardened?
If algae grows quickly and uses carbon you probably have to remove parts during operation, then there's 2 options, bury it (thus removing it from the loop and becoming negative) or optimally produce cheaper carbon fuel sources, thus we could replace parts of other "biofuels" and reduce the amount of oils we pump up.
I love the idea but I'm highly doubtful of scaling (really wouldn't mind being proven wrong).
A third option would be to use it as animal feed. Then the carbon ends up in sewage (from humans eating the animals) and fertilizer (animal waste), but we were going to end up with those anyway. Tho depending on the specific animals, there may also be methane involved.
Sure, but those aren't free, either from a carbon standpoint or energy inputs or plastics pollution. A solar module, once made, emits no carbon for decades, and can just sit in a landfill (at worst) or have parts recycled (if possible). Algae doesn't live that long and will require a constant stream of waste processing, meaning (probably) fossil fuel trucks and energy intensive industrial processes.
But the algae might be useful in developing countries without solar cell production or import capabilities, if they can scale it up. Some sand and water and you can generate electricity, without significant industry? That'd be very useful.
For the electricity, it's cool that this works at all, as opposed to turning the algae into fuel. I wonder what the efficiency is, and what maintenance is like. Presumably you wouldn't use something like this for home power, but only at commercial plants that are staffed and regularly maintaijed / gardened?