An apparatus for generating electricity from solar radiation having a solar spectrum is provided. The apparatus includes a photovoltaic mirror comprising a plurality of photovoltaic cells, the photovoltaic mirror configured to separate the solar spectrum, absorb a first portion of the solar spectrum, and concentrate a second portion of the solar spectrum at a focus. The apparatus also includes an energy collector spaced from the photo-voltaic mirror and positioned at the focus, the energy collector configured for capturing the second portion of the solar spectrum.

A non-imaging optical concentrator, including a top portion, a body, and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion is configured to receive an incident light and transmit the received incident light to the body when the incident light is within an angle of acceptance for the non-imaging optical concentrator, and where the body is configured to reflect the incident light transmitted by the top portion to the bottom portion when the incident light is within the angle of acceptance for the non-imaging optical concentrator, and wherein the top portion is configured to split or diverge the incident light into two or more directions when the incident light is within the angle of acceptance for the non-imaging optical concentrator.

A spectrum-splitting concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module utilizes direct fluid cooling of photovoltaic cells in which an array of photovoltaic cells is fully immersed in a flowing heat transfer fluid. Specifically, at least a portion of both the front face and the rear face of each photovoltaic cell comes into direct contact with heat transfer fluid, thereby enhancing coupling of waste heat out of the photovoltaic cells and into the heat transfer fluid. The CPV module is designed to maximize transmission of infrared light not absorbed by the photovoltaic cells, and therefore may be combined with a thermal receiver that captures the transmitted infrared light as part of a hybrid concentrator photovoltaic-thermal system.

The invention relates to a front-face substrate for a solar module, in particular for mobile applications, for example mobile devices, means of transportation, or manned or unmanned flying objects, wherein the front-face substrate has a weight per unit area of under 500 g/m.sup.2 and comprises a material which has a transmission curve T() for a reference thickness of 100 m, said transmission curve forming a transition from a lower transmission T.sub.low to an upper transmission T.sub.up and having a transitional transmission T.sub.tr therebetween of 50% in a wavelength range of 302 nm to 322 nm.

Hybrid photovoltaic (PV) and thermal energy collection systems and methods are provided. One system includes bi-facial PV cells arranged in a first plane, with each PV cell having a first face to directly accept incident light and a second face to accept reflected light. Dichroic splitters underlie transparent spaces in the first plane and reflect R band wavelengths of light to the second face of corresponding PV cells, while transmitting T band wavelengths of light. Optical units underlie the dichroic splitters, accepting T band (e.g., visible) light from corresponding dichroic splitters, and transmitting focused T band light to a thermal collection tube. In another variation, PV cells are arranged in a first plane with optical units. The optical units focus T band wavelengths of light, which are concentrated by a light funnel and provided to a thermal collection tube.

Systems herein relate to a device having a lens that directs angles of light toward solar cells and display sections having components that improve image clarity, reflectivity, and vividness. In one embodiment, a system includes a lens that directs incident light within a first angular range for absorption and a second angular range toward viewing material. The system also includes that the viewing material is within sections of the lens and forms an image. The system also includes reflective components adjacent to the viewing material within the sections of the lens, the reflective components reach ends of the lens away from the incident light and reflect the incident light within the second angular range that reflects off the viewing material. The system also includes an absorption component that captures energy from the incident light, the absorption component coupled to the lens at the ends and the reflective components.