Embodiments herein provide for a Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) solution that can further lower the cost of CPV systems and enable a lower cost of electricity (LCOE). In one embodiment, a system includes a cylindrical reflective trough concentrator. The system also includes a photovoltaic receiver panel, with a receiver panel located on a swing arm having an axis of rotation at a center of the cylindrical reflective trough concentrator, wherein the swing arm is operable to move the photovoltaic receiver panel to track sunlight reflected from the cylindrical reflective trough concentrator as sun traverses the sky.

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.

The present invention is related to the field of solar concentrators and associated energy conversion apparatus. More particularly, the invention discloses a solar tracking apparatus particularly advantageous for use with solar concentrating optics comprising compound conical concentrators, wherein modular tracking means and integration provide fast drop-in replacement, as well as low-material usage. Also disclosed are improved structures and methods for producing stackable frustum structures of the embodied optical concentrator. Additional structures specific to the inventive solar tracker are also disclosed.

The present invention refers to a method for making a reflecting stratiform structure (100), configured so as to reflect the incident radiation coming from an upper side with respect to the reflecting stratiform structure (100), comprising an upper transparent protective coating layer (101) configured in that the upper transparent protective coating layer (101) is applied to the reflecting stratiform structure (100) through a cross-linking process, which is carried out by cross-linking a polymerisable resin, which will form the upper transparent protective coating layer (101), making energy pass through a transparent thermoplastic film (102, 120), preferably made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), so as to cross-link the polymerisable resin.

A solar reflective mirror includes a parting film between solar reflecting sublayers to improve optics and stability of the solar mirror. The coating stack of the solar reflector mirror is encapsulated to increase the useable life of the solar mirror, and to eliminate the need for a permanent protection overcoat. Omission of the PPO film which is electrically non-conductive makes the coating stack electrically conductive eliminating the need for a two layer encapsulant when the encapsulant is e-coated. Another feature of the invention is applying the base coat of the encapsulant over the marginal edges of the PPO film leaving a center section without coverage and adding the top coating of the encapsulant over the base coat and the uncoated area.

An arrangement for manufacturing a reflector for a PTC from a rectangular reflective structure. The arrangement comprises a tensioning device configured to tension a reflector portion of the rectangular reflective structure, such that a surface of the tensioned reflector portion acquires a curvature perpendicular to the tensioned reflector portion's longitudinal propagation, along the tensioned reflector portion's longitudinal propagation. The arrangement further comprises a fixating device configured to fixate the surface's curvature, such that the tensioned reflector portion remains tensioned. The tensioning device is configured to tension the reflector portion of the rectangular reflective structure by pre-forming the reflector portion to a pre-curvature, and adjusting the pre-curvature by applying a torque at a longitudinal borderline of the pre-formed portion. Because the reflector will be maintained tensioned by torques only, it will adapt a curvature of a high precision parabola.

A reflective solar tracker system for collecting solar energy from the sun and converting the solar energy to electricity, using one or more photovoltaic devices, each of which has a sunlight-collecting surface, including a horizontal reflector panel retaining assembly, wherein the horizontal reflector panel retaining assembly further comprises a horizontal reflector panel such that the horizontal reflector panel includes a non-uniform, textured finish located on a sun-facing surface area of the horizontal reflector panel, a reflective solar tracker retaining/rotating assembly operatively connected to the horizontal reflector panel retaining assembly, and a reflective solar tracker array retaining assembly operatively connected to the horizontal reflector panel retaining assembly and the reflective solar tracker retaining/rotating assembly.

Modular solar concentrator including first support defining a main axis transversal to ground, second support constrained to first support and including a first tubular element defining a rotation axis transversal to the main axis and two first flanges at first tubular element ends, a mirror defining a reflecting surface to focus solar rays, a receiver to acquire focused solar rays, sideboards each defining a concave profile and constraint area with a circular sector to allow constraining one or more sideboards on each first flange to create one or more support frames to constrain a mirror, one or more extensions including a second tubular element including two second flanges respectively at each end to connect to a respective first flange to extend the second support. A sideboard constrainable to a second flange to create a plurality of frames to constrain the mirrors and widen mirror reflecting surface total extension.

Solar energy device comprising at least one of a photovoltaic cell or a solar thermal collector having an absorption bandwidth in the infrared wavelength region of the solar spectrum; a visible light-transmitting reflector; and at least one of a graphic film or lighted display. The graphic film or a lighted display present is visible through the visible light-transmitting reflector. The solar energy devices can be used, for example, as a sign (e.g., an advertising sign or a traffic sign), on the side and/or roof, as well as in a window, of a building.

A method for manufacturing a concentrating photovoltaic solar sub-module equipped with a reflective face having a concave predefined geometric shape, wherein it includes laminating, in a single step, a multi-layer assembly comprising in succession: a structural element equipped with a reflective first face and a second face, opposite the first; a layer of a material of good thermal conductivity, higher than that of the material from which the structural element is composed, the layer being placed on the second face of the structural element; a layer of encapsulant or of adhesive; a photovoltaic receiver, the layer of encapsulant or of adhesive being placed between the layer of a material of good thermal conductivity and the receiver; a layer made of transparent encapsulating material, covering at least the entire surface of the photovoltaic receiver; and a transparent protective layer covering the layer made of transparent encapsulating material; and during the lamination, the reflective face of the structural element is shaped by being brought into contact with a convex surface of a counter-mold, in order to obtain the reflective face of concave predefined geometric shape.