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.

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 energy collector includes: a solar energy collection tube having an absorption medium flow path for allowing an absorption medium to flow therethrough; a lens configured to concentrate solar energy on the solar energy collection tube; and an actuator configured to move the solar energy collection tube or the lens based on an incidence angle of the solar energy so that the solar energy is focused on the solar energy collection tube.

The present invention is in the field of solar energy collectors. In particular, the invention is directed to solar energy collectors that operate by concentrating solar radiation onto an absorber using a reflector. The invention may be embodied in the form of a unitary planar solar radiation reflector array having a plurality of upwardly facing reflective surfaces each of which is configured to reflect incident solar radiation, wherein each upwardly facing reflective surface is formed by coating a substrate with a coating material. The coating material may be a metallic coating of substantially even thickness formed by a metal deposition method such as a vapour deposition method or a thermal spray method.

Techniques for hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic energy collection are provided. In one aspect, a photovoltaic concentrating thermal collector (PVCTC) includes: a thermal absorber collector; and bent solar panels forming a parabolic shaped trough reflector partially surrounding the thermal absorber collector so as to reflect incident light onto the thermal absorber collector. A PVCTC system including an array of PVCTC units and a method for hybrid electrical and thermal energy production are also provided.

A glass tube with a glass tube wall is provided, wherein an inner surface of the glass tube wall comprises at least partially at least one infrared light reflective coating. Additionally a heat receiver tube for absorbing solar energy and for transferring absorbed solar energy to a heat transfer fluid, which can be located inside a core tube of the heat receiver tube, is provided. The core tube comprises a core tube surface with a solar energy absorptive coating for absorbing solar absorption radiation of the sunlight. The core tube surface and an encapsulation are arranged in a distance between the core tube surface and the inner surface of the encapsulation wall with the infrared reflective surface such, that the solar absorption radiation can penetrate the encapsulation with the infrared light reflective coating and can impinge the solar energy absorptive coating.

Techniques for hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic energy collection are provided. In one aspect, a photovoltaic concentrating thermal collector (PVCTC) includes: a thermal absorber collector; and bent solar panels forming a parabolic shaped trough reflector partially surrounding the thermal absorber collector so as to reflect incident light onto the thermal absorber collector. A PVCTC system including an array of PVCTC units and a method for hybrid electrical and thermal energy production are also provided.

A panoramic sensing apparatus, comprising: a Fresnel lens system (110) and a light sensing device (120). The Fresnel lens system (110) comprises a composite Fresnel lens (111) in a shape of a frustum, at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of a sidewall of the frustum being a tooth surface; at least two Fresnel units are distributed on said tooth surface. The light sensing device (120) is used for sensing light rays converged by the Fresnel lens system (110). As the composite Fresnel lens in the shape of a frustum is employed for sensing boundaries of a detection range, in the case where lens areas are the same as a whole, a larger detection range may be obtained, or light energy from each direction may be collected. Further, compared with a composite Fresnel refraction surface arranged on a spherical surface or on a spherical polyhedron, the composite Fresnel refraction surface which is arranged on a sidewall of a frustum involves lowered processing difficulty, and accordingly improved precision and defect-free rate.

A novel method of concentrating solar energy using wave generators is disclosed. The systems and methods enable the collection of energy over large area at high efficiencies and the concentrating of energy at a target for use and transfer.

Solar powered lamp posts are described. One post includes one or more solar panel assemblies located in an inverted pyramid cavity. The solar panel assemblies are configured to generate energy, for example, by collecting sun light. One or more drone charging stations are also provided which can charge a drone using the energy generated. The post also feature one or more light emitters powered by the energy generated. The post may also include a pyramid structure which supports the solar panel assemblies and the drone charging stations. The pyramid structure can include the solar panel assemblies on outward facing sides and open up to expose the drone charging stations. The solar panel assemblies may include a broom panel array. The array has a multiple power generating panels and a socket which secures each of the power generating panels in a radial direction from a central focal point.