A photovoltaic solar power plant assembly and a method of using said assembly to generate power are disclosed. The assembly includes an array of photovoltaic solar modules arranged in a solar module surface, and an optical structure for redirecting light towards said solar module surface, having a redirected light emitting surface. The optical structure includes: a planar optical waveguide which has a parallel first and second planar waveguide surfaces, wherein the first planar waveguide surface extends parallel to the redirected light emitting surface, wherein the first planar waveguide surface is at least partially covered by a photonic layer which is configured to provide an angular restriction of a light emission from the planar waveguide through the redirected light emitting surface, and a light scattering and/or luminescent material, which material is arranged as particles in the planar optical waveguide and/or in a layer which at least partially covers the second planar waveguide surface.

The present disclosure relates to light redirecting elements in solar energy absorption systems and envisages a light redirecting prism, a redirecting prismatic wall and a solar panel incorporating the same. The light redirecting prism has three elongate surfaces. The incident surface receives incident parallel rays of light. The redirecting surface performs total internal reflection of the light travelling from the incident surface through a predetermined range of angles and thus redirect the light. The transmitting surface transmits the redirected light at a predetermined angle out of the prism and directs the light towards a solar energy absorbing device. Further, a redirecting prismatic wall can be constructed to comprise redirecting prisms. The light redirecting prism or redirecting prismatic wall can be used in solar panels for enhancing quantum of light incident on the PV cell of the panel.

A secondary reflector for receiving light from a plurality of primary reflectors that includes a reflecting surface having a length aligned along a first axis (z), where a cross-section of the reflecting surface in a plane perpendicular to the first axis (z) forms a curve comprising a concave section positioned between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, at least a portion of the concave section is accurately approximated by a polynomial equation, an aperture is formed by a straight line connecting the first endpoint to the second endpoint, and the concave section is configured to focus a plurality of beams of light passing through the aperture onto a focal point.

An aspect of the present disclosure is a device that includes a reflecting surface having a length aligned along a first axis (z), where a cross-section of the reflecting surface in a plane perpendicular to the first axis (z) forms a curve comprising a concave section positioned between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, at least a portion of the concave section is accurately approximated by a polynomial equation, an aperture is formed by a straight line connecting the first endpoint to the second endpoint, and the concave section is configured to focus a plurality of beams of light passing through the aperture onto a focal point.

A solar energy powered Stirling duplex cooler is presented which includes a Stirling engine and a Stirling cooler. The Stirling engine drives the Stirling cooler to produce cold temperatures for refrigeration or air conditioning. The Stirling duplex cooler includes a solar concentrator to focus high temperature solar radiation upon the Stirling engine expansion space. The Stirling duplex cooler further includes a thermal storage tank to receive and store heat rejected from the cooler expansion space. This stored heat is used to operate the cooler at night. A flywheel connected operatively to engine and cooler expansion space pistons and a crankshaft connected operatively to engine and cooler compression space pistons actuate the pistons to move a working fluid between the expansion and compression spaces.

A reflective concentrator can include a primary reflector and a secondary reflector located radially outward of the primary reflector. The primary reflector can be a rotationally-symmetric, convex conical shape, radial sections of which may include an off-axis parabolic reflector with a focal point radially outward of the primary reflector. A secondary reflector may be located radially outward of the primary reflector, and may include a rotationally symmetric section of a toroidal space surrounding the primary reflector. In some embodiments, the secondary reflector may be convex or concave. Incident sunlight generally aligned with a rotational axis of symmetry of the primary reflector may be reflected off of the primary reflector, off of the secondary reflector, and back towards a point near the central peak of the primary reflector. The reflective concentrator may be aerodynamically stable, and may include an aerodynamic fairing on its read side to further increase the aerodynamic stability of the structure.

A solar energy powered Stirling duplex cooler is presented which includes a Stirling engine and a Stirling cooler. The Stirling engine drives the Stirling cooler to produce cold temperatures for refrigeration or air conditioning. The Stirling duplex cooler includes a solar concentrator to focus high temperature solar radiation upon the Stirling engine expansion space. The Stirling duplex cooler further includes a thermal storage tank to receive and store heat rejected from the cooler expansion space. This stored heat is used to operate the cooler at night. A flywheel connected operatively to engine and cooler expansion space pistons and a crankshaft connected operatively to engine and cooler compression space pistons actuate the pistons to move a working fluid between the expansion and compression spaces.

A solar energy powered Stirling duplex cooler is presented which includes a Stirling engine and a Stirling cooler. The Stirling engine drives the Stirling cooler to produce cold temperatures for refrigeration or air conditioning. The Stirling duplex cooler includes a solar concentrator to focus high temperature solar radiation upon the Stirling engine expansion space. The Stirling duplex cooler further includes a thermal storage tank to receive and store heat rejected from the cooler expansion space. This stored heat is used to operate the cooler at night. A flywheel connected operatively to engine and cooler expansion space pistons and a crankshaft connected operatively to engine and cooler compression space pistons actuate the pistons to move a working fluid between the expansion and compression spaces.

A solar energy powered Stirling duplex cooler is presented which includes a Stirling engine and a Stirling cooler. The Stirling engine drives the Stirling cooler to produce cold temperatures for refrigeration or air conditioning. The Stirling duplex cooler includes a solar concentrator to focus high temperature solar radiation upon the Stirling engine expansion space. The Stirling duplex cooler further includes a thermal storage tank to receive and store heat rejected from the cooler expansion space. This stored heat is used to operate the cooler at night. A flywheel connected operatively to engine and cooler expansion space pistons and a crankshaft connected operatively to engine and cooler compression space pistons actuate the pistons to move a working fluid between the expansion and compression spaces.

An electromagnetic radiation collecting device is presented, which is particularly useful for the collection of solar radiation, providing optimal radiation collection throughout the daytime, and throughout yearly seasonal changes. The collector entails a redundant number of static collectors arranged in such a manner as to provide maximal and chronologically evened collection outline.