A cooling system for a photovoltaic panel including micro flat heat pipes (HP) integrated with thermoelectric generators (TEG) and a cooled water reservoir for cooling the working fluid in heat pipes. The cooled water in the reservoir is pumped from the condensate pan of an air conditioner. Experimental results show that cooling system reduced the average temperature of the panel by as much as 19° C. or 25%. Further, the output power of the photovoltaic panel increased by 44% when the photovoltaic panel was used in a very hot climate (30-40° C.). An additional two watts of power was generated by the TEGs.

A method for storing solar energy and generating electric power comprising the steps of utilizing a solar powered water treatment device (2) to convert non-potable water (3) into distillate (4) and concentrate (5), storing the distillate and the concentrate in a distillate storage tank (104) and a concentrate storage tank (105) respectively and feeding the distillate from the distillate storage tank and the concentrate from the concentrate storage tank to a salient gradient power device (106) to generate electric power.

A cooling system for a photovoltaic panel including micro flat heat pipes (HP) integrated with thermoelectric generators (TEG) and a cooled water reservoir for cooling the working fluid in heat pipes. The cooled water in the reservoir is pumped from the condensate pan of an air conditioner. Experimental results show that cooling system reduced the average temperature of the panel by as much as 19° C. or 25%. Further, the output power of the photovoltaic panel increased by 44% when the photovoltaic panel was used in a very hot climate (30-40° C.). An additional two watts of power was generated by the TEGs.

Methods and systems are provided for air conditioning, capturing combustion contaminants, desalination, and other processes using liquid desiccants.

A solar module includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells and a sandwich structure on which the plurality of photovoltaic cells is structurally supported. The sandwich structure includes top and bottom structural plates and an open-cell inner material located between the top and bottom structural plates.

Provided is a photocathode structure including: a photocathode including silicon (Si); an intermediate layer formed on the photocathode, and including a silicon oxide (SiO.sub.x); and a protective layer foiled on the intermediate layer, and including a metal oxide, wherein the intermediate layer is a tunneling barrier configured to transfer charges from the photocathode to the protective layer by an electric field applied from an outside.

An integrated wind and solar solution is provided, including a solar energy collection assembly (100) and a vertical axis wind turbine (400), combined to provide an integrated power output. In preferred embodiments, the vertical axis wind turbine is positioned above the solar energy collection assembly. Concentrating solar mirror collectors (116) are used to direct sunlight to a heat engine (250), which converts the collected heat energy into rotary motion. Rotary motion from the heat engine and from the vertical axis wind turbine preferably are on the same rotating axis (600), to facilitate load sharing between these two sources. A dual axis azimuth-altitude solar panel alignment tracking system is used in order to boost the energy conversion capability of the solar energy collectors.

A system and method for solar energy concentration is provided. One embodiment has a reflective trough with a reflective upper surface that reflects incident sunlight energy towards a focal line; a solar evacuated tube heat collector defined by a transparent fluid container member that has a length that corresponds to a length of the reflective upper surface of the reflective trough, wherein the solar evacuated tube heat collector is located along the focal line associated with the reflective trough such that an interior of the transparent fluid container member encompasses the focal line; and a wave guide located above and in proximity to the solar evacuated tube heat collector having a length corresponding to the length of the solar evacuated tube heat collector, wherein a lower surface of the wave guide has a reflective lower surface that reflects incident sunlight energy downwards onto the solar evacuated tube heat collector.

A solar power installation having cooled bifacial photovoltaic solar modules for converting solar energy into electrical and thermal energy. The installation comprises a bifacial photovoltaic (PV) module having a liquid cooling system, a panel including bifacial PV cells, and a flat mirror concentrator for concentrating light on the panel. The installation also comprises a heat exchanger; a solar tracking system; and a parabolic mirror concentrator. The liquid cooling system has a closed circulation circuit. A first circuit section has a passage located over surfaces of the panel with the bifacial PV cells for cooling the surfaces of the panel. A second circuit section is located such that coolant passes through a focus of the parabolic mirror concentrator for additional heating of the coolant passing therein prior to entering the heat exchanger.

A solar rack for supporting a solar panel, said solar rack including a pair of support frames, each support frame including a front member, a bottom member, and a rear member, wherein the front member, the bottom member, and the rear member cooperate to form a triangularly shaped structure; and a trough including two ends and a base, each end of the trough is configured to be attached to a portion of each of the support frames to form a support upon which the solar panel is disposed, the support having bottom surfaces, wherein the base of the trough is configured to be offset with respect to the bottom surfaces of the support.