A ballistic carrier spectral sensor includes a photon absorption region to generate photo-generated carriers from incident light; a first potential barrier region adjacent the photon absorption region and having an adjustable height defining a minimum energy of the photo-generated carriers required to pass therethrough; a second potential barrier region having an adjustable height defining a minimum energy of the photo-generated carriers required to pass therethrough; a spillage well region disposed between the first potential barrier region and the second potential barrier region and configured to collect photo-generated carriers having an energy lower than that required to pass through the second potential barrier region; and a collection region adjacent the second potential barrier region and configured to collect carriers that cross the second potential barrier region. A total thickness of the first potential barrier region and the spillage well region is less than a mean free path of the photo-generated carriers.

Device for harvesting light from a light source, comprising: First photovoltaic cell having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an array of optical passages therein. Array of optical concentrating elements above the upper surface defining a light acceptance area, each being associated with one of the optical passages, and being structured/arranged to concentrate direct light towards theretowards. Concentrated direct light passing through the first photovoltaic cell via an optical passage and exiting as a non-parallel light beam. Array of optical redirecting elements below the lower surface, each being associated with one of the optical passages; each receiving the light beam from the optical passage with which it is associated and redirecting it optically towards a second photovoltaic cell. Diffuse light passing through the array of optical concentrating elements to upper surface of first photovoltaic cell. Second photovoltaic cell having an active area being smaller than the light acceptance area.

Apparatus for the industrial wiring and final testing of photovoltaic concentrator modules, consisting of a module frame, a lens disc, a sensor carrier disc and an electrical line routing arrangement, comprising the following features: a) a laser contact-making device for the contactless connection of connecting lines between the individual sensors and of connecting elements and of collective contact plates, wherein the line routing arrangement on the sensor carrier disc as basic structure has, in each case, five CPV sensors connected in parallel, and these parallel circuits are connected in series, b) a device for testing electrical properties, wherein a specific voltage is applied to CPV sensors themselves, and the light emitted by them via the lenses is detected and assessed, c) a device for testing tightness of finished concentrator modules, wherein compressed air is applied to the modules in the interior and the emission of compressed air is checked.

A light-absorbing or light-emitting solar cell assembly comprises an electrical insulator disposed on an electrically conductive substrate and that is provided with a metallized surface and at least one solar cell connected to the electrically conductive substrate, wherein the solar cell includes refractive secondary optics and is disposed in a recess in the insulator. The solar cell is connected to the substrate by the side orientated towards the substrate via an electrically conductive connection and the recess is dimensioned such that an interspace is produced laterally between the solar cell and the electrical insulator, the interspace being filled with a coupling medium and the solar cell being connected to the metallized surface by at least one electrical contact.

A flexible printed wiring board includes a first strip-shaped member and a second strip-shaped member each including a conductive part and an insulating part covering the conductive part; and a first connecting member including a conductive part and an insulating part covering the conductive part, the first connecting member connecting a first end of the first strip-shaped member and a first end of the second strip-shaped member to each other. The conductive parts of the first strip-shaped member, the second strip-shaped member, and the first connecting member are continuous with each other. The first strip-shaped member and the second strip-shaped member are capable of being linearly arranged when the first connecting member is bent and the first end of the first strip-shaped member and the first end of the second strip-shaped member face each other.

The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses and opposing concave focusing mirrors and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The transparent sheet contains small angled mirrors, where each angled mirror corresponds to a particular set of the lenses/focusing mirrors and is in the focal plane. The lightguide also includes a fluid surrounding the transparent sheet, and lower index cladding layers sandwich the fluid. The sheet is translated within the fluid by an actuator to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an edge of the lightguide for extraction to a light transmission system or to a PV system. A position sensor on the sheet provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.

A concentrator photovoltaic is formed by concentrator photovoltaic panels each having solar cells arranged on the back side of concentrating lenses. A plurality of portions of an image are imaged at the periphery of each of the solar cells in each of the panels. When each of the panels tracks the sun to be swung in the right-left direction and in the up-down direction, an image which can be identified through the concentrating lenses by a person who sees the image from a position in front of the concentrator photovoltaic is different according to an angle at which the panel is swung (direction rotation angle and elevation angle) due to the characteristic of the concentrating lenses. Therefore, the image of a letter or the like which appears with movement of the sun can be changed, and a message or the like according to time thereof can be displayed.

An LED device capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation ranging from about 200 nm to 365 nm, the device. The device includes a substrate member, the substrate member being selected from sapphire, silicon, quartz, gallium nitride, gallium aluminum nitride, or others. The device has an active region overlying the substrate region, the active region comprising a light emitting spatial region comprising a p-n junction and characterized by a current crowding feature of electrical current provided in the active region. The light emitting spatial region is characterized by about 1 to 10 microns. The device includes an optical structure spatially disposed separate and apart the light emitting spatial region and is configured to facilitate light extraction from the active region.

A rigidly mountable solar panel includes lenses supported above a movable panel to focus sunlight onto photovoltaic material carried on the movable panel. Flexible supports space the movable panel at the focal points of the lenses, and a servo-mechanism enables movement of the movable panel to adjust position as the focal point moves with the sun. A light detector on the movable panel, sensing movement of the focal point signals the servo-mechanism to adjust the position of the movable panel automatically, thereby tracking the sun's movement. Concentrating sunlight on photovoltaic material selected to have higher conversion efficiency increases output. Segmenting the photovoltaic material so the output of the segments can be combined in a series-parallel relationship and using mirrors on the ends of the movable panel to reflect sunlight onto the segments allows electricity that is generated by the photovoltaic material to be more uniform during daylight.

An electro-optic display has a plurality of pixels, each of which is capable of displaying two extreme optical states and at least one intermediate gray level. Each pixel is driven from an initial intermediate gray level to one extreme optical state and then to a first desired intermediate gray level, so producing a first image on the display. The pixel then remains at this first desired intermediate gray level for a finite length of time. The pixel is then driven from this first desired intermediate gray level to the opposed extreme optical state and then to a second desired intermediate gray level, so producing a second image on the display.