Disclosed herein a novel and useful solar mounting solution that includes a plurality of specially shaped structural thermal clips, specially shaped structural and thermal mounting washers, structural hardware struts, a cooler/heat sink, structural solar panel mounting clips, and solar panel frames, which aid to provide better thermal performance that can be used on any structure, but particularly on the sides of buildings, or Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). The solar mounting solution also aids to minimize vibration and support hardware such as, but not limited to, conductors, conduits, pipes, equipment such as microinverters. The seismic rated solar mounting system is lightweight, strong, durable, inexpensive, and facilitates mounting of solar panels onto buildings and other structures.

Disclosed herein a novel and useful solar mounting solution that includes a plurality of specially shaped structural thermal clips, specially shaped structural and thermal mounting washers, structural hardware struts, a cooler/heat sink, structural solar panel mounting clips, and solar panel frames, which aid to provide better thermal performance that can be used on any structure, but particularly on the sides of buildings, or Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). The solar mounting solution also aids to minimize vibration and support hardware such as, but not limited to, conductors, conduits, pipes, equipment such as microinverters. The seismic rated solar mounting system is lightweight, strong, durable, inexpensive, and facilitates mounting of solar panels onto buildings and other structures.

A receiver for solar concentrating systems including a container including at least one transparent wall configured to receive solar rays from a solar concentrator and defining at least one cavity housing, a conversion module configured to convert solar energy taken from the solar rays into thermal and/or electrical energy and housed within part of the cavity close to the wall and separated from the wall by a slot, and transparent optical gel housed within the cavity and configured to completely occupy at least the slot to shield the conversion module.

A receiver for solar concentrating systems including a container including at least one transparent wall configured to receive solar rays from a solar concentrator and defining at least one cavity housing, a conversion module configured to convert solar energy taken from the solar rays into thermal and/or electrical energy and housed within part of the cavity close to the wall and separated from the wall by a slot, and transparent optical gel housed within the cavity and configured to completely occupy at least the slot to shield the conversion module.

A reconfigurable solar array has a plurality of photovoltaic cells and an interconnect circuit including a plurality of switches for interconnecting the photovoltaic cells. A thermostatic feedback control circuit in communication with a temperature sensor is configured to produce a temperature signal that is proportional to a temperature of the photovoltaic cells. The thermostatic feedback control circuit is configured to cause at least one of the switches to change state at a preset temperature that is independent of supply voltage. When the temperature is above the preset temperature, the photovoltaic cells are arranged in a plurality of strings connected in parallel. When the temperature is at or below the preset temperature, at least one photovoltaic cell in each string is disconnected from a respective string and reconnected in series to each other to form a new string connected in parallel to the other strings.

A reconfigurable solar array has a plurality of photovoltaic cells and an interconnect circuit including a plurality of switches for interconnecting the photovoltaic cells. A thermostatic feedback control circuit in communication with a temperature sensor is configured to produce a temperature signal that is proportional to a temperature of the photovoltaic cells. The thermostatic feedback control circuit is configured to cause at least one of the switches to change state at a preset temperature that is independent of supply voltage. When the temperature is above the preset temperature, the photovoltaic cells are arranged in a plurality of strings connected in parallel. When the temperature is at or below the preset temperature, at least one photovoltaic cell in each string is disconnected from a respective string and reconnected in series to each other to form a new string connected in parallel to the other strings.

Described is a method for managing a trackable solar panel assembly and a variable reflective surface. The method can receive solar farm characteristics and location characteristics for the solar farm. The method can also receive solar panel assembly characteristics for a solar panel assembly and variable reflective surface characteristics for a variable reflective surface. The method can optimize control parameters for the solar panel assembly and the variable reflective surface, based on the solar farm characteristics, the location characteristics, the solar panel assembly characteristics, and the variable reflective surface characteristics. The method can adjust the variable reflective surface based on the control parameters.

Described is a method for managing a trackable solar panel assembly and a variable reflective surface. The method can receive solar farm characteristics and location characteristics for the solar farm. The method can also receive solar panel assembly characteristics for a solar panel assembly and variable reflective surface characteristics for a variable reflective surface. The method can optimize control parameters for the solar panel assembly and the variable reflective surface, based on the solar farm characteristics, the location characteristics, the solar panel assembly characteristics, and the variable reflective surface characteristics. The method can adjust the variable reflective surface based on the control parameters.

Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide for solar panel arrays that can be aesthetically pleasing and appear seamless to an observer. BIPV systems can be on-roof systems, elevated from the surface of a roof, being flush or forming a substantively uniform plane with roof panels or other panels mimicking a solar panel appearance. Pans supporting BIPV solar panels can be coupled by standing seams to other photovoltaic-supporting pans or pans supporting non-photovoltaic structures, having both functional and aesthetic advantages. In some configurations, inverted seams can couple photovoltaic-supporting pans and non-photovoltaic structures, forming a substantively planar surface. In some configurations, the appearance of BIPV systems can be particularly aesthetically pleasing and generally seamless to an observer.

Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide for solar panel arrays that can be aesthetically pleasing and appear seamless to an observer. BIPV systems can be incorporated as part of roof surfaces as built into the structure of the roof, flush or forming a substantively uniform plane with roof panels or other panels mimicking a solar panel appearance. Pans supporting BIPV solar panels can be coupled by standing seams, in both lateral and longitudinal directions, to other photovoltaic-supporting pans or pans supporting non-photovoltaic structures, having both functional and aesthetic advantages. In some configurations, the appearance of BIPV systems can be particularly aesthetically pleasing and generally seamless to an observer.