Algae industry embraces lowered expectations

FORT COLLINS – After a long and uncertain winter, the algae-cultivation company Solix BioSystems has the 720-square-foot pool in its backyard ready for summer – with a considerable amount of green muck growing in it.

Solix is running its proprietary algae growth system – called the Lumian AGS 4000 – on the grounds of the Colorado State University Engines and Energy Conversion Lab in Fort Collins. The design of the inflatable tank includes 20 patent-pending photobioreactor panels where algae is cultivated for use as oil, a base for biofuel, or whatever purpose a customer might have. Formerly considered research and…