The invention relates to a product for heating comprising at least one heating unit (2), which comprises a base material layer with an emission reducing structure on top of said an energy converting structure, combined together to form a selective absorber layer on at least one of the sides of the base material layer, at least one insulation layer (4, 5, 6, 7) of transparent flexible material located on the heating unit (2), which heating unit and the at least one insulation layer on the heating unit (2) of the product (1) are attached to each other air-tightly on the sides such that between at least some of the layers at least one closed air pocket (10, 11) is formed, characterized in that the content to be heated by the product is located below to the base material of the heating unit of the product (1), that temperature of the content of the product (1) will be 90 C.-160 C., as result of the placing the product (1) exposed to radiation of selected wavelengths, and that the energy converting structure in the selective absorber layer has an absorption factor (aS) of a minimum of 0.9 and the emission reducing structure has an emission factor (E) of a maximum of 0.1 and that ratio between the absorption factor (aS) and the emission factor (E) is equal or higher than 9 and that when the selective absorber is exposed to wavelengths ranging from 350 nm to 4000 nm, the energy converting structure converts the wavelengths to thermal energy ranging from 4000 nm to 40.000 nm and the emission of thermal energy is reduced by the emission reducing structure and the contained energy is being used for heating the content of the product (1).

The invention relates to a product for heating comprising at least one heating unit (2), which comprises a base material layer with an emission reducing structure on top of said an energy converting structure, combined together to form a selective absorber layer on at least one of the sides of the base material layer, at least one insulation layer (4, 5, 6, 7) of transparent flexible material located on the heating unit (2), which heating unit and the at least one insulation layer on the heating unit (2) of the product (1) are attached to each other air-tightly on the sides such that between at least some of the layers at least one closed air pocket (10, 11) is formed, characterized in that the content to be heated by the product is located below to the base material of the heating unit of the product (1), that temperature of the content of the product (1) will be 90 C.-160 C., as result of the placing the product (1) exposed to radiation of selected wavelengths, and that the energy converting structure in the selective absorber layer has an absorption factor (aS) of a minimum of 0.9 and the emission reducing structure has an emission factor (E) of a maximum of 0.1 and that ratio between the absorption factor (aS) and the emission factor (E) is equal or higher than 9 and that when the selective absorber is exposed to wavelengths ranging from 350 nm to 4000 nm, the energy converting structure converts the wavelengths to thermal energy ranging from 4000 nm to 40.000 nm and the emission of thermal energy is reduced by the emission reducing structure and the contained energy is being used for heating the content of the product (1).

A solar assisted water heating system for an electric water heater is provided to include a water guiding unit, a solar conversion unit, a radiant energy collection unit, and a pump. When electrical energy from the solar conversion unit is being applied to the pump, the water is driven by the pump to flow into the water guiding unit so as to be heated by the radiant energy collection unit which absorbs sunlight.

A solar tower system is disclosed in which the heat transfer media is a molten salt at a temperature greater than 650 C. The components that carry or hold the molten salt are made from commercially available alloys made by Haynes International and sold under the designations HR-120 alloy, 230 alloy and 233 alloy whose compositions are described herein. The molten salt preferably is MgCl.sub.2KCl.

A solar tower system is disclosed in which the heat transfer media is a molten salt at a temperature greater than 650 C. The components that carry or hold the molten salt are made from commercially available alloys made by Haynes International and sold under the designations HR-120 alloy, 230 alloy and 233 alloy whose compositions are described herein. The molten salt preferably is MgCl.sub.2KCl.

A coating for solar tubes has a porous absorbing layer that includes an absorbing black pigment material mixed with a porous binder having an open porosity, and a first protective layer having oxides applied on top of the porous absorbing layer. The first protective layer may penetrate to at least a portion of the open porosity. The first protective layer may include nanoparticles, to improve the filling of the pores. A second protective layer may be applied after the first layer, to improve the filling of the remaining gaps.

A coating for solar tubes has a porous absorbing layer that includes an absorbing black pigment material mixed with a porous binder having an open porosity, and a first protective layer having oxides applied on top of the porous absorbing layer. The first protective layer may penetrate to at least a portion of the open porosity. The first protective layer may include nanoparticles, to improve the filling of the pores. A second protective layer may be applied after the first layer, to improve the filling of the remaining gaps.

A Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) apparatus to capture Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) in form of thermal energy and to store the thermal energy in the form of a heat, in a plurality of Thermal Storage Material, to be used as a heat source is described, the apparatus comprising at least one Fresnel Lens Tunnel 12. A receiver 7 containing a re-circulating TES material is implemented. The apparatus may further comprise the FLT 12 comprising at least three non-imaging concentrating optical elements and at least one Enveloped Linear Fresnel Reflector 13 to power each side of the FLT 12 which is not receiving DNI and at least one Reflector and Lens Mount with Shield (RLMS 14), the rotatable device, comprising a pair of central hubs for connecting the RLMS 14 to the rotating means, and providing rotary motion to the RLMS 14 wherein the load is sustained by Mount carrier base.

A selective emitter exhibiting heat resistance up to 1000 C., comprising a metal body, a first dielectric layer provided on one surface of the metal body, a composite layer provided on another surface of the first dielectric layer at an opposite side to the metal body side, and a second dielectric layer provided on another surface of the composite layer at an opposite side to the first dielectric layer, the composite layer being a layer provided with a metal or semiconductor dispersed in an oxide of the metal or the semiconductor.

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 inlet and outlet fluid lines in fluid communication via manifolds with a cold fluid supply line and a warm fluid return line, respectively. The plates are preferably constructed of aluminum and one plate has a photovoltaic cell matrix affixed thereto to face the sun. The plates have dividers or partitions that enhance the heat transfer characteristics with respect to the liquid flowing though the channel between the plates.