A silica aerogel having a mean pore size less than 5 nm with a standard deviation of 3 nm. The silica aerogel may have greater than 95% solar-weighted transmittance at a thickness of 8 mm for wavelengths in the range of 250 nm to 2500 nm, and a 400° C. black-body weighted specific extinction coefficient of greater than 8 m.sup.2/kg for wavelengths of 1.5 μm to 15 μm. Silica aerogel synthesis methods are described. A solar thermal aerogel receiver (STAR) may include an opaque frame defining an opening, an aerogel layer disposed in the opaque frame, with at least a portion of the aerogel layer being proximate the opening, and a heat transfer fluid pipe in thermal contact with and proximate the aerogel layer. A concentrating solar energy system may include a STAR and at least one reflector to direct sunlight to an opening in the STAR.

A silica aerogel having a mean pore size less than 5 nm with a standard deviation of 3 nm. The silica aerogel may have greater than 95% solar-weighted transmittance at a thickness of 8 mm for wavelengths in the range of 250 nm to 2500 nm, and a 400° C. black-body weighted specific extinction coefficient of greater than 8 m.sup.2/kg for wavelengths of 1.5 μm to 15 μm. Silica aerogel synthesis methods are described. A solar thermal aerogel receiver (STAR) may include an opaque frame defining an opening, an aerogel layer disposed in the opaque frame, with at least a portion of the aerogel layer being proximate the opening, and a heat transfer fluid pipe in thermal contact with and proximate the aerogel layer. A concentrating solar energy system may include a STAR and at least one reflector to direct sunlight to an opening in the STAR.

Non-imaging solar collectors that generate both electrical energy and thermal energy through the use of a novel solar absorber assembly inside a transparent housing with a wide-angle concentrator are disclosed. One or more minichannels or heat pipes comprise part of the absorber assembly, and effectively remove heat from photovoltaic solar cells adjacent and/or attached to the minichannels or heat pipes, thereby cooling and improving the efficiency of the solar cells while at the same time transferring heat to a fluid flowing through the minichannel(s). Also disclosed are methods of manufacturing non-imaging solar collectors that generate both electrical and thermal energy.

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 that enclose an intermediate space there between, the intermediate space being 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 which are connected to a heat-collector element on the shell facing the exterior and the interior of the building and which end in the intermediate space are arranged in the intermediate space.

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 that enclose an intermediate space there between, the intermediate space being 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 which are connected to a heat-collector element on the shell facing the exterior and the interior of the building and which end in the intermediate space are arranged in the intermediate space.

A concentrator tube comprises a reflector portion having two walls; and an aperture closing an opening to the reflector portion. The aperture and the reflector portion extend longitudinally. The aperture is substantially flat relative to curvature of the reflector portion.

A concentrator tube comprises a reflector portion having two walls; and an aperture closing an opening to the reflector portion. The aperture and the reflector portion extend longitudinally. The aperture is substantially flat relative to curvature of the reflector portion.

A tile, preferably a roof tile (1), for collecting energy from kinetic, thermal and light sources. The tile comprises a housing (2) with at least one photovoltaic cell (3) for collecting energy from a light source and at least one thermal collector (4). The tile comprises at least one wind channel (5) with a wind turbine (6).

A tile, preferably a roof tile (1), for collecting energy from kinetic, thermal and light sources. The tile comprises a housing (2) with at least one photovoltaic cell (3) for collecting energy from a light source and at least one thermal collector (4). The tile comprises at least one wind channel (5) with a wind turbine (6).

Solar thermal devices are formed from a block of wood, where the natural cell lumens of the wood form an interconnected network that transports fluid or material therein. The block of wood can be modified to increase absorption of solar radiation. Combining the solar absorption effects with the natural transport network can be used for various applications. In some embodiments, heating of the modified block of wood by insolation can be used to evaporate a fluid, for example, evaporating water for extraction, distillation, or desalination. In other embodiments, heating of the modified block of wood by insolation can be used to change transport properties of a material to allow it to be transported in the interconnected network, for example, heating crude oil to adsorb the oil within the block of wood.