A drive assembly for a heliostat is described, wherein the drive assembly may be configured to dynamically adjust the position of an attached reflector in concentrated solar power applications. The drive assembly may be further configured to provide for biasing of the reflector to reduce backlash due to external loads. The biasing force may be provided by at least one of a spring, counterweight, or offset of the center of gravity of the reflector or other attachment, or some combination thereof.

Motorized system for holding and driving at least one solar energy collector, said system including: a supporting structure for the panel, movable at least in part in relation to the ground, so as to allow controlled displacement of the collector, notably about at least two axes of rotation, at least one blocking member, fixed in relation to the ground, at least one coupling member, movable with the collector and adapted to cooperate with the blocking element in at least one locking position of the collector, in order to hold the collector in the event of extreme winds, the coupling member being able to be moved into the locking position or locking positions as a result of a predefined movement of the collector, from a usual operating position where the coupling member is remote from the blocking member.

A low profile flexible solar thermal panel has low-cost, thin sheet foil and film materials fabricated as an integrated airtight solar thermal panel and a dual-port bifurcated duct adapter and formed metal foil air passages. The bifurcated air duct and formed metal foil layer enables, the panel to require only a single duct orifice through a mounting surface (such as a roof or wall) to provide both ingress and egress for air flow. The formed metal foil layer supplies a rigid support for two laminar air passages that steer forced air from the ingress port through a lower laminar air passage and returns it through the upper laminar air passage to the egress port in the bifurcated duct. The air duct enables measurement of the inlet air temperature, outlet air temperature and circulated air volume, further enabling electronic measurement of total energy produced in standard units.

Building-integrated photovoltaic devices can be provided, which function as sensors, wherein the output parameters from the device are used to provide information about light intensity and ambient temperature, in addition to providing power, to an intelligent building energy management system.

Methods and apparatus for concentrating electromagnetic waves coming from a moving source at a focal point fixed to the ground. The invention discloses a tracking system for a device capable of concentrating incoming electromagnetic waves at a fixed focal point. This concentration of the electromagnetic waves may be done by reflection, as in the case of a reflecting dish, or by refraction as in the case of a concentrating lens, which is impeded in a hemisphere, which can be real or imaginary, such that its focal point coincides with the center of the hemisphere and using this apparatus to track such moving source by rotating around said hemisphere's fixed center, so as to face the incoming electromagnetic rays normally. A receiver can be kept at the focal point of the device which uses the concentrated rays for various applications such as melting metals or charging a solar cell.

A method in accordance with the invention includes a headrail bracket configured to be inserted into a headrail at an angle from a top thereof. The headrail bracket includes clips snap into a top edge of the headrail, and an attachment mechanism to attach to a gearbox assembly configured to rotate a tilt rod of a window blind tilting mechanism. In certain embodiments, the headrail bracket is a single component with a substantially low profile. This headrail bracket may span a top of the headrail. In other embodiments, the headrail bracket includes a first component to secure a first end of the gearbox assembly to the headrail and a second component to secure a second end of the gearbox assembly to the headrail. In certain embodiments, the first component slides over the first end of the gearbox assembly and the second component slides over the second end of the gearbox assembly.

The disclosure generally relates to concentrating daylight collectors and in particular to a light concentrator alignment system that can detect and correct for misalignment of the solar concentrator. The present disclosure generally relates to concentrating daylight collectors that can be used for illuminating interior spaces of a building with sunlight, and in particular to a light concentrator alignment system that can detect and correct for misalignment of the solar concentrator.

An automatic over-temperature control system for a solar collection is provided in which a light sensor in combination with an electronic solenoid valve is used to prevent entry of cold water into a thermosiphon solar collector during daylight intervals. By delaying entry of water until dusk (low light), the solar tubes have cooled sufficiently so water can be safely introduced into an empty or depleted solar collector without damaging the collector tubes.

A disc-type concentrator comprises a disc rack vertical post, a disc rack, a rotating shaft, a rotating reflection mirror, a power driving device, and a control system. The rotating shaft is arranged on the disc rack and rotatably connected with the disc rack. The rotating reflection mirror is arranged on a side of the rotating shaft and fixedly connected with the rotating shaft. The power driving device is arranged on the disc rack or on the back surface of the rotating reflection mirror and driving the rotating reflection mirror to rotate. The control system is connected with the power driving device and controlling the working state of the power driving device.

The invention relates to an electricity generation method using orientable photovoltaic sensors (10) disposed above crops (C), the shadow projected onto the crops being altered by changes in the orientation of the sensors. The method is characterised in that the orientation of the sensors is controlled in a computerized and automatic manner in order to affect the microclimatic conditions of the crops by changing the orientation of the sensors, in particular in order to place crops in microclimatic conditions more suited to obtaining a desired agricultural result, while seeking to achieve an optimum, reducing electricity generation as little as possible in relation to a reference that is not combined with crops.