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 system for detecting the aim of a concentrating solar collector. The system includes a plurality of baffled photodetectors which observe various regions of the target focal plane through a set of tailored apertures. When configured in an exemplary way, the detector system can mimic the behavior of a quad cell while achieving a safe standoff distance from the intense solar radiation at the focus.

A computer-controlled greenhouse system constructed in accordance with the invention above provides climate management and precision cultivation capability. It is equipped with solar energy filtering devices to precisely manage visible sunlight intake based on plants stages and adjust solar heat intake according to climate management needs; it uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling; it reclaims water from moisture released by plants with vapor condensing devices.

A planar non-imaging optical element (10) for a solar concentrator is described. Groups of circular and concentrically arranged microstructures (35) are arranged to refract light incident normal to the plane (504) of the optical element (10) towards the centre point (502). The angle of the microstructures (35) with respect to the plane (504) of the optical element (10) within each group increases with increasing radial distance from the centre point (502) and are selected such that upon normally incident light (60) they to form a focal area common to all of the groups at a focal plane (506) of the optical element (10) and further selected such that the light refracted from the smallest radial distance from the centre point (502) within a given group and the light refracted from the largest radial distance from the centre point (502) within a given group cross at a plane (518) closer to the optical element (10) than is the focal plane (506).

Facades, roofs, and greenhouses that may capable of self-cooling are provided. For example, a façade for a greenhouse may include an internal glass wall and an external glass wall in a parallel plane to the internal glass wall and separated from the internal glass wall by a first distance. The distance may be configured to permit passage of a heat transfer liquid. The internal glass wall can include a first face, facing the external glass wall. The first face of the internal glass wall can include a reflective surface configured to reflect solar radiation into the heat transfer liquid when in operation.

An optical light-transmission element for a solar energy assembly having a solar cell includes at least one harvesting portion for directing solar light onto the solar cell. For optimum operation of the solar energy assembly, the optical light-transmission element and the solar cell have to be carefully aligned. In order to facilitate the alignment, the optical light-transmission element further comprises at least one alignment control portion for concentrating the solar light onto a second focusing region, which is spaced apart from the primary focusing region. A method for aligning such a solar energy assembly involves focusing light on a focusing region that is spaced apart from the solar cell, and adjusting at least one of the position of the solar cell and the harvesting region until the focusing region is located at a predetermined target zone, which is spaced apart from the solar cell.

A solar energy utilization window includes two plate members, and a first prism, and an energy collection portion, in which the energy collection portion is installed with a predetermined gap interposed between the energy collection portion and a second side of a first prism, and in a triangular prism, a refractive index and each internal angle of the triangle are set so that there are three types of optical paths of sunlight that has passed through an outer glass and entered into a first prism from the first side.

A planar solar concentrator includes a light collecting assembly and a light condensing unit. The light collecting assembly includes a light collecting unit and a waveguide slab extending in a longitudinal direction. The light collecting unit includes a light collector having an input surface, an output surface, and a curved surface to direct an incident light toward a collecting zone on the output surface. The light condensing unit is slidably coupled to a rear end of the waveguide slab for condensing the incident light from the waveguide slab, and is coupled such that based on an elevation angle of the light source, the light condensing unit is permitted to be driven to slide in a transverse direction.

A planar solar concentrator includes a light collecting assembly and a light condensing unit. The light collecting assembly includes a light collecting unit and a waveguide slab extending in a longitudinal direction. The light collecting unit includes a light collector having an input surface, an output surface, and a curved surface to direct an incident light toward a collecting zone on the output surface. The light condensing unit is slidably coupled to a rear end of the waveguide slab for condensing the incident light from the waveguide slab, and is coupled such that based on an elevation angle of the light source, the light condensing unit is permitted to be driven to slide in a transverse direction.

A solar energy utilization window includes two plate members, and a first prism, and an energy collection portion, in which the energy collection portion is installed with a predetermined gap interposed between the energy collection portion and a second side of a first prism, and in a triangular prism, a refractive index and each internal angle of the triangle are set so that there are three types of optical paths of sunlight that has passed through an outer glass and entered into a first prism from the first side.