Solar conversion efficiency of trees?

Question

Photovoltaic arrays convert sunlight to electricity with a typical conversion efficiency (range) of 10% to 30%.

A tree receives sunlight, and stores some of this solar energy as a hydrocarbon (wood). What intensity of sunlight is needed, over what area of leaf canopy, for how many hundreds of hours, for a tree to add 1 pound (dry weight) of wood to its mass? Or to add 1 cubic foot to its trunk+branch volume?

The answer may be specific to any tree species -- alder, hemlock, etc -- that grows in a temperate rainforest (i.e. Maritime Northwest U.S.).

Answer 1

I very much doubt that information exists anywhere. At least not anywhere easy to find on line. But the tree uses all the sunlight that hits it for a year, and you can measure the size of the canopy and then rate of growth, or look those things up on line, and calculate it yourself. Don't expect me to do it for you though.

Answer 2

Homemade Solar Power Videos - http://Solar.eudko.com/?yVf

Answer 3

Think its 2-5% , not sure exactly read somewhere on the net.