A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.

Methods and systems are disclosed that automatically determine solar access values. In one implementation, a 3D geo-referenced model of a structure is retrieved in which geographic location on the earth of points in the 3D geo-referenced model are stored or associated with points in the 3D geo-referenced model. Object point cloud data indicative of object(s) that cast shade on the structure is retrieved. The object point cloud data may be generated from one or more georeferenced images and the object point cloud data is indicative of an actual size, shape, and location of the object(s) on the earth. The structure in the 3D geo-referenced model is divided into one or more sections, which are divided into one or more areas, each area having at least three vertices. Then, a solar access value for the particular vertex is determined.

A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.

An A-Frame solar panel array system is configured to produce a high amount of electrical power for a given amount of ground space with a plurality of solar panels on both a forward beam and a plurality of solar panels on a trailing beam in an elevated position above the ground. This elevated positioning enables more solar panels to be configured over a given amount of ground area. The solar panels are spaced along the trailing and forward beams with a vertical offset between the trailing and forward beams to enable sunlight to pass therethrough to enable exposure to sunlight, through the forward beam array of solar panels onto the trailing beam array of solar panels. A solar panel actuator is configured to rotate the solar panels for increasing solar panel exposure throughout the year. The solar panels may only be configured to rotate trailing/forward.

A solar collector comprising a wide-angle, nonimaging asymmetric optical reflector comprising a reflective film, an absorber assembly positioned within the optical reflector having a transparent tube evacuated to a vacuum or partial vacuum and at least two pipes with fluid flowing through the pipes, the pipes arranged in a flow-through configuration, wherein the solar acceptance angle of the collector is about 40 degrees, allowing for passive (stationary) solar tracking, and where the solar energy collected is transferred to the fluid in the form of heat. The fluid exiting the solar collector is in the range of 100° C. to 250° C., and the thermal energy of the fluid may be used to generate high-quality steam for solar industrial process heat applications.

A solar tracking system (200) comprises multiple solar panel modules (SPMi) forming a grid of solar panel modules, wherein the multiple solar panel modules (SPMi) are orientatable to a solar source independently of each other; and a control system (SPCi) configured to orient each of the multiple solar panel modules (SPMi) to the solar source independently of each other based on a performance model to optimize an energy output from the grid of solar panel modules, wherein the performance model predicts an energy output from the grid of solar panel modules based on a topography of the area containing the grid of solar panel modules and weather conditions local to each of the solar panel modules (SPMi).

Disclosed are methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces. In particular, the invention enables the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems since under certain conditions less energy for heating or cooling is required to maintain, within certain boundaries, desirable temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other enclosed spaces.

In some instances the invention is in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods and algorithms to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal).

In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all, whereas in other instances the expenditure of external energy for conventional heating or cooling is reduced. In some instances the invention enables the reduction of the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.

A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.

A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.