Make sure you get the new book on Growing Algae in Open Ponds to make:
- Biofuels
- Health Foods
- Organic Feritlizer
- Animal Feed
For the first time Building Open Ponds provides the average person with a low cost method of growing algae at home or commercial scale.
Growing algae in open ponds means construction costs are cheaper than photobioreactors, and at a minimum requiring only a trench or pond. Large ponds have the largest production capacities relative to other systems of comparable cost. Also, open pond cultivation can exploit unusual conditions that suit only specific algae. For instance, Spirulina sp.thrives in water with a high concentration of sodium bicarbonate and Dunaliella salina grow in extremely salty water. Open culture can also work if there is a system of culling the desired algae and inoculating new ponds with a high starting concentration of the desired algae.
Using raceways or open pond systems means everything is open to the elements. This can mean they are more vulnerable to contamination by other microorganisms, such as other algal species or bacteria. Open systems also do not offer the same levels of control over temperature and lighting that photobioreactors do. In addition, the growing season is largely dependent on location and, aside from tropical areas, is limited to the warmer months. Despite these drawbacks, the biggest systems in the world that produce thousands of tons of algae are open to the environment.
The newly released book, Building Open Ponds provides you with all the information you need to get started in the exciting area of biofuels or health foods.