Lens system with directional ray splitter for concentrating solar energy

A concentrated solar power system, comprising:

• a concentration panel comprising a sheet of light transmissive material with a first surface for receiving sunlight and an opposite second surface, the second surface including a plurality of spaced apart recessed surfaces defining ray splitters in the sheet;
• at least one solar collector positioned proximate an edge of the sheet of the concentration panel;
• and
• a lens array comprising a plurality of lenses focusing received sunlight onto a paired one of the ray splitters in the sheet of the concentration panel, wherein the ray splitters direct at least a fraction of the focused sunlight into the material of the sheet where it is trapped by total internal reflection and toward the edge for collection by the solar collector.

A concentrator for a solar power system, comprising:

• a lens array comprising a plurality of linear lenses each focusing received light onto a focal point a distance apart from the lens array;
• a light wafer with a body of material that is substantially transparent to light, the body having a planar first surface facing the lens array to receive the focused light and having a second surface opposite the first surface;
• and
• a plurality of linear grooves with triangular cross sections in the second surface, each of the linear grooves being positioned proximate to one of the focal points of the linear lenses and arranged with a longitudinal axis parallel to the linear lenses.