Maximum photobioreactor (PBR) efficiency is a must in applications such as the obtention of microalgae-derived fuels. Improving PBR performance requires a better understanding of the "light regime", the varying irradiance that microalgal cells moving in a dense culture are exposed to. We propose a definition of light regime that can be used consistently to describe the continuously varying light patterns in PBRs as well as in light/dark cycles. Equivalent continuous and light/dark regimes have been experimentally compared and the results show that continuous variations are not well represented by light/dark cycles, as had been widely accepted. It has been shown that a correct light regime allows obtaining photosynthetic rates higher than the corresponding to continuous light, the so-called "flashing light effect" and that this is possible in commercial PBRs. A correct PBR operation could result in photosynthetic efficiency close to the optimum eight quanta per O(2). (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.