Solar concentrator assembly

Abstract

The present invention provides a solar energy collecting and converting system comprising a plurality of segmented reflective elements such as mirrors forming a trough shape structure. These reflective elements are attached to the glass top of a metal box. The solar cells are placed at the bottom of the box and heat sinks are placed underneath the solar cells. Further, the segmented reflective mirrors are attached to a rod at the bottom for additional support. In a variation of the system, the solar cells are replaced with an insulated container comprising light absorbing material at the bottom of the panel. A glass window on the top of insulated container lets the solar light pass through and heat the light absorbing material. The small size of the window does not let the heat radiate from the insulated container through the window and improves the performance of the whole system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.