The present invention is a solar concentrator composed of a generally V-shaped trough of reflective Fresnel steps. The reflective Fresnel steps concentrate the sunlight entering the mouth of the V-shaped trough and parallel to its central axis into a central focal area. By disposing a solar energy receiving element at the central focal area of sunlight concentration, a concentrating solar energy collector is created. Various configurations of solar energy receiving elements are used to convert the concentrated sunlight into other forms of useful energy that can be harvested by the collector.

An energy storage capsule for storing energy in the form of photons. The body of the capsule may surround a sealed vacuum environment in which several layers of reactive material are contained, including an inner reflective coating, a first photovoltaic cell, an optical amplification medium, a second photovoltaic cell, and an outer reflective coating, provided in that order. The body of the capsule may also be reflective, for example polished aluminum. Light may be emitted from an LED wafer which may be integrated with the surface of the optical amplification medium, directed at the several layers of reactive material. Some photons may be reflected by the reflective material, storing them within the capsule, while others may be absorbed by the photovoltaic cells, powering the LEDs to transmit more photons. The thermal environment of the energy storage capsule may be maintained such that the LEDs can operate at over 100% efficiency.

A method comprising the steps of flowing a flow of relatively cold fluid along at least one photovoltaic solar panel being heated by solar energy towards and into a fluid treatment device, at least heating the flow of fluid in a fluid treatment device to divide the flow of fluid into a flow of a first fluid part and a flow of a second fluid part, flowing the flows of the first fluid part and the second fluid part from the fluid treatment device along the flow of relatively cold fluid. Before entering the fluid treatment device the flow of relatively cold fluid is preheated by the relatively warm photovoltaic solar panel and the relatively warm flow of the first fluid part and the relatively warm flow of the second fluid part.

A coolant loop for trough-reflector solar energy conversion systems has open coolant supply and discharge reservoirs. Coolant is driven by siphoning pressure through cooling channels which have attached solar cell arrays. The siphoning pressure is produced by maintaining the free surface of coolant in a coolant supply reservoir at a higher elevation than the free surface of coolant in a coolant discharge reservoir. The cooling channels have air evacuation and air inlet ports to facilitate initiation and termination of siphon-pressure-driven coolant flow. The cooling channels also have in-line flow control valves that respond to control signals generated by coolant temperature sensors.

The invention provides a solar panel with a cooling device, comprising a solar panel with a substrate, a plurality of solar cells arranged on the substrate; a regenerative tank is stored with a Phase Change Material (PCM) inside; a pulsed heat pipe having a plurality of first bending section on one end of the pulsed heat pipe, and an extended section on the corresponding other end of the pulsed heat pipe to surround a plurality of second bending section; and a part of the extended section of the pulsed heat pipe is connected to the substrate of the solar panel, while the first bending section on the relative end of the extended section is extended into the regenerative tank and contacted with the phase change material. When the reduction of the temperature of the solar panel be achieved so that the efficiency of converting solar energy to electrical energy can be upgraded.

The present invention discloses a bi-facial photovoltaic power generation module, comprising a transparent box, and a cell string and a mounting base which are installed inside the transparent box, wherein the transparent box is provided with a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the cell string is formed by connecting several bi-facial cells in series or in parallel with both ends of the cell string respectively provided with a positive wire and a negative wire welded on the positive terminal and the negative terminal, and the mounting base is provided with strip-shaped slots in which the bi-facial cells can be plugged. According to the present invention, the module can simultaneously generate power on front and back sides thereof and improve its power generation efficiency per unit area.

A solar thermophotovoltaic system includes a heat exchange pipe containing a heat exchange fluid, and a thin-film integrated spectrally-selective plasmonic absorber emitter (ISSAE) in direct contact with an outer surface of the heat exchange pipe, the ISSAE including an ultra-thin non-shiny metal layer comprising a metal strongly absorbing in a solar spectral range and strongly reflective in an infrared spectral range, the metal layer having an inner surface in direct contact with an outer surface of the heat exchange pipe. The system further includes a photovoltaic cell support structure having an inner surface in a concentric configuration surrounding at least a portion of the ISSAE; and an airgap separating the support structure and the outer surface of the metal layer. The support structure includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells arranged on a portion of the inner surface of the support structure and configured to receive emissions from the ISSAE, and a solar energy collector/concentrator configured to allow solar radiation to impinge a portion of the metal layer.

A solar thermophotovoltaic system includes a heat exchange pipe containing a heat exchange fluid, and a thin-film integrated spectrally-selective plasmonic absorber emitter (ISSAE) in direct contact with an outer surface of the heat exchange pipe, the ISSAE including an ultra-thin non-shiny metal layer comprising a metal strongly absorbing in a solar spectral range and strongly reflective in an infrared spectral range, the metal layer having an inner surface in direct contact with an outer surface of the heat exchange pipe. The system further includes a photovoltaic cell support structure having an inner surface in a concentric configuration surrounding at least a portion of the ISSAE; and an airgap separating the support structure and the outer surface of the metal layer. The support structure includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells arranged on a portion of the inner surface of the support structure and configured to receive emissions from the ISSAE, and a solar energy collector/concentrator configured to allow solar radiation to impinge a portion of the metal layer.

An energy storage capsule for storing energy in the form of photons. The body of the capsule may surround a sealed vacuum environment in which several layers of reactive material are contained, including an inner reflective coating, a first photovoltaic cell, an optical amplification medium, a second photovoltaic cell, and an outer reflective coating, provided in that order. The body of the capsule may also be reflective, for example polished aluminum. Light may be emitted from an LED wafer which may be integrated with the surface of the optical amplification medium, directed at the several layers of reactive material. Some photons may be reflected by the reflective material, storing them within the capsule, while others may be absorbed by the photovoltaic cells, powering the LEDs to transmit more photons. The thermal environment of the energy storage capsule may be maintained such that the LEDs can operate at over 100% efficiency.

An energy storage capsule for storing energy in the form of photons. The body of the capsule may surround a sealed vacuum environment in which several layers of reactive material are contained, including an inner reflective coating, a first photovoltaic cell, an optical amplification medium, a second photovoltaic cell, and an outer reflective coating, provided in that order. The body of the capsule may also be reflective, for example polished aluminum. Light may be emitted from an LED wafer which may be integrated with the surface of the optical amplification medium, directed at the several layers of reactive material. Some photons may be reflected by the reflective material, storing them within the capsule, while others may be absorbed by the photovoltaic cells, powering the LEDs to transmit more photons. The thermal environment of the energy storage capsule may be maintained such that the LEDs can operate at over 100% efficiency.