Disclosed is a building envelope for a building wall, floor, or roof of a building, the building envelope comprising at least two shells spaced apart from one another which enclose a single intermediate space sealed against the interior and the exterior of the building and being filled with structural weight-bearing and building-technology components, and at least in sections with a porous, open-celled 3D-pattern material. A plurality of heat pipes, formed by associated first and second pipes in the exterior and interior facing shell, respectively, are connected to a heat collector element on the exterior and interior facing shell, respectively protrude from the building envelope, and are configured to increase, hold or decrease heat transition through the building envelope or to affect heat transport into or out of the building envelope.

A recoverable and renewable heat recovery system includes a variable speed inverter compressor in fluid connection with a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger via a fluid circuit. The system further includes a solar thermal collection module positioned on top of the compressor and in fluid communication with the compressor, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger via the fluid circuit. A light intensity sensor is configured to determine light intensity on the solar thermal collection module. The solar thermal collection module is configured to retain solar energy thermal energy to increase fluid pressure in the compressor.

A combination of multiple cycle solar generator, heat exchanger, dew harvesting and bi-directional heat processing apparatus. Solar energy is collected by a hemispherical, square or other shaped collectors. Current invention converts solar energy in multiple cycles, extracting solar energy through Photo Voltaic cells, making electricity. Focused energy produces heat that is also extracted though Heat Exchangers, combined with Thermo Electric Modules, creating electricity or surplus heat for heating, storage or cooling. Current invention further utilizes large radiator plates in the back of dish along with entire metal assembly for dew harvesting at night or when Thermo Electric modules within heat exchangers energized by stored electricity or power grid. Current invention also operates in reverse for absorbing heat from the atmosphere, water, dirt, ice or snow and diverts the piped heat to desired location.

A solar absorber body for a concentrating solar power system, said solar absorber body including: a tube, designed to contain a heat transfer medium and including a first part designed to be exposed to the sunlight and a second part designed to be unexposed to the sunlight, an assembly of fins made of thermally conductive material, and a selective coating arranged at least on the outer surface of the first part of the tube, said assembly of fins defining at least two longitudinal passages inside the tube, said passages being adjacent in a sectional plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube, said assembly of fins being configured to create a continuous thermal bridge inside the tube from at least a portion of the inner surface of first part of the tube to at least a portion of the inner surface of the second part of the tube.

A photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system for coupling to a solar panel, includes: thermal parts, including: a copper sheet comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, where the first side is for coupling to a back of the solar panel; at least a first plurality of heat pipes coupled to the second side of the copper sheet; and at least a first manifold coupled to ends of the first plurality of heat pipes; and an insulation layer coupled to the thermal parts, where if the thermal parts are coupled to the back of the solar panel, the copper sheet receives heat transferred from the solar panel and transfers the heat to the first plurality of heat pipes, and the first plurality of heat pipes transfers the heat to the first manifold. The PVT system manages the temperature of the solar cells in the solar panel.

A solar collector adapted to absorb thermal heating from the sun, wherein said solar collector comprises hollow sections adapted to house a medium. The solar collector is a self-supporting composite solar collector produced from a composite material constituted of at least a first and second material, wherein said first and second materials have equal or substantially equal coefficients of elasticity.

A modular, solar energy system comprising one or more modular solar panels. The solar panels include a pair of general planar, plates that are secured together to form a narrow channel therebetween for the circulation of a liquid. The solar panels have header assemblies affixed to opposite edges thereof and which control the entry of liquid into the channel and the exit therefrom. The inlet header assembly has a plurality of nozzles that are adjustable in size to control flow therethrough while the outlet header assembly has elongated nozzles to receive flow or liquid from the channel. The plates are preferably constructed of aluminum and one plate has a photovoltaic cell affixed thereto to face the sun and the other plate has a plurality of indentations that enhance the heat transfer characteristics with respect to the liquid flowing though the channel between the plates.

An exemplary solar selective coating can be provided to be deposited on a substrate. The exemplary solar selective coating can comprise an adhesion layer, an absorber stack comprising at least one absorber layer, and an antireflection stack which can comprise at least one antireflection layer, e.g., all provided in a sandwich configuration. The sandwich configuration can provide the adhesion layer deposited onto the substrate, the absorber stack deposited on the adhesion layer, and the antireflection stack deposited on the absorber stack. The adhesion layer can comprise a metallic layer comprising molybdenum and titanium.

The present application discloses a method and an apparatus for solar power generation through gas volumetric heat absorption based on characteristic absorption spectrum. A radiation energy conversion device absorbs concentrated solar radiation and converts radiation energy into thermal energy; the thermal energy is transferred to the other side of the radiation energy conversion device and then is converted into radiation energy; and the energy is transferred in a receiver cavity. The working gas from the outlet of a recuperator flows into the receiver cavity and absorbs the radiation energy. The heated working gas with high temperature flows into a turbine, doing shaft work through expansion. The expanded working gas flows through the recuperator to exchange heat. The working gas flows into a cooler, a compressor and the recuperator in sequence, and then flows into a receiver cavity to be heated volumetrically, completing a thermal power cycle.

An apparatus (10) and method for the co-production of high temperature thermal energy and electrical energy from solar irradiance includes a photovoltaic cell (30) laminated to a metal extrusion device (40) and a transparent channel (20) in front of the photovoltaic cell (30). The transparent channel (20) contains a heat transfer fluid that is seeded with metallic, semiconducting, and/or non-metallic nanoparticles and absorbs wavelengths of solar energy that are not utilized or underutilized by the photovoltaic cell (30).