A solar collector housing that is opened and closed without tools includes structure for accommodating temperature-related expansion and contraction of a polymer absorber housed within the collector. The housing includes a transparent cover, a frame for holding the transparent cover, and a base. The cover, frame and base collectively define a hollow interior within which the polymer absorber is positioned. A plurality of latches is secured to an exterior of the frame. The frame and base are pivotally connected to one another when the latches are open so that the collector housing can be opened. The housing cannot be opened when the latches are closed. A pair of variable gate closure components are positioned in slots formed in a second end of the collector and enable the polymer absorber to expand and contract without placing stress on the absorber tubes.

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.

The disclosure discloses a flat-plate water-heating photovoltaic/thermal module and a production process thereof. The flat-plate water-heating photovoltaic/thermal module includes a frame, wherein the lower surface of the frame is provided with a heat preservation back plate, the upper surface of the frame is sequentially laminated with a glass cover plate, a first photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive, a photovoltaic cell slice, a second photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive, a transparent back plate, a third photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive and a heat absorbing component from top to bottom, and a heat preservation cavity is formed between the heat preservation back plate and the heat absorption part.

The disclosure discloses a flat-plate water-heating photovoltaic/thermal module and a production process thereof. The flat-plate water-heating photovoltaic/thermal module includes a frame, wherein the lower surface of the frame is provided with a heat preservation back plate, the upper surface of the frame is sequentially laminated with a glass cover plate, a first photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive, a photovoltaic cell slice, a second photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive, a transparent back plate, a third photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive and a heat absorbing component from top to bottom, and a heat preservation cavity is formed between the heat preservation back plate and the heat absorption part.

The invention relates to a product for heating comprising at least one heating unit (2), which comprises a base material layer with an emission reducing structure on top of said an energy converting structure, combined together to form a selective absorber layer on at least one of the sides of the base material layer, at least one insulation layer (4, 5, 6, 7) of transparent flexible material located on the heating unit (2), which heating unit and the at least one insulation layer on the heating unit (2) of the product (1) are attached to each other air-tightly on the sides such that between at least some of the layers at least one closed air pocket (10, 11) is formed, characterized in that the content to be heated by the product is located below to the base material of the heating unit of the product (1), that temperature of the content of the product (1) will be 90 C.-160 C., as result of the placing the product (1) exposed to radiation of selected wavelengths, and that the energy converting structure in the selective absorber layer has an absorption factor (aS) of a minimum of 0.9 and the emission reducing structure has an emission factor (E) of a maximum of 0.1 and that ratio between the absorption factor (aS) and the emission factor (E) is equal or higher than 9 and that when the selective absorber is exposed to wavelengths ranging from 350 nm to 4000 nm, the energy converting structure converts the wavelengths to thermal energy ranging from 4000 nm to 40.000 nm and the emission of thermal energy is reduced by the emission reducing structure and the contained energy is being used for heating the content of the product (1).

A solar thermal absorber element (100) includes a cover glass (110) and a highly selective vacuum coated roll-bond absorber (120) including heat transport tubes (126). The element further including a thermoplastic sealing (130) configured to attach the cover glass and the roll-bond absorber to each other so that there is a distance (h) between the cover glass and the roll-bond absorber, and a sealed space (134), which is formed by the cover glass, the roll-bond absorber, and the thermoplastic sealing and which is filled up with a low thermal conductive gas (136).

A flat-plate water-heating photovoltaic/thermal module and a production process thereof are disclosed. The flat-plate water-heating photovoltaic/thermal module includes a frame. The lower surface of the frame is provided with a heat preservation back plate. The upper surface of the frame is sequentially laminated with a glass cover plate, a first photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive, a photovoltaic cell slice, a second photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive, a transparent back plate, a third photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive and a heat absorbing component from top to bottom. A heat preservation cavity is formed between the heat preservation back plate and the heat absorption part.

A flat-plate water-heating photovoltaic/thermal module and a production process thereof are disclosed. The flat-plate water-heating photovoltaic/thermal module includes a frame. The lower surface of the frame is provided with a heat preservation back plate. The upper surface of the frame is sequentially laminated with a glass cover plate, a first photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive, a photovoltaic cell slice, a second photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive, a transparent back plate, a third photovoltaic cell laminating adhesive and a heat absorbing component from top to bottom. A heat preservation cavity is formed between the heat preservation back plate and the heat absorption part.

A collector element for collecting solar energy. The collector element is made of metal and comprises at least one elongated central ridge comprising at least one internal flow channel for a heat transfer medium, first and second elongated side ridges at opposite sides of the at least one central ridge and an elongated depression between each two adjacent ridges. At least one side ridge comprises at least one fastening element by means of which at least one substantially solar radiation permeable covering element is to be fastened to the collector element for covering at least the at least one elongated central ridge of the collector element.

Solar tracking assemblies and methods for tracking the movement of the Sun are described herein. The dual axis solar tracking system generally includes a foundation, a primary layer, a secondary layer, and at least one motor that controls a first and second actuator. The foundation is designed to uniformly distribute the weight of the solar tracking assembly in the absence of additional securing or structural supports. The primary layer is adapted to rotate relative to a primary axis. The secondary layer is adapted to rotate relative to a secondary axis. The secondary layer is adapted for attachment of a payload thereto which may absorb the Sun's energy.