Hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic energy collection

A method for hybrid electrical and thermal energy production, comprising:

• providing a photovoltaic concentrating thermal collector (PVCTC) system having at least one PVCTC unit comprising a thermal absorber collector, a cooling fluid within the thermal absorber collector, and parabolically-bent solar panels forming a parabolic shaped trough reflector partially surrounding the thermal absorber collector, wherein each parabolically-bent solar panel comprises multiple solar cells, wherein each PVCTC unit comprises two of the parabolically-bent solar panels side-by-side one another, wherein an array of the PVCTC units is present extending along the length of the thermal absorber collector, and wherein the PVCTC system is mounted to a solar tracking system;
• using the solar tracking system to point the bent solar panels toward the sun;
• absorbing a portion of incident light on the bent solar panels to generate electrical energy;
• and
• reflecting a portion of the incident light from the parabolic shaped trough reflector onto the thermal absorber collector to heat the cooling fluid within the thermal absorber collector thereby generating thermal energy.