Solar electric conversion unit and system

For use in a solar energy system of a type serving to convert solar energy to a different from of energy;

• an energy converting unit comprising an elongate extruded unitary body including an arcuate, elongate fresnel lens, reflective side walls integral to and depending from the side edges of said fresnel lens and angled toward each other, the free edges of said side walls being spaced apart to form an open side to said unit opposite said fresnel lens;
• and elongate heat sink means carried by said free edges to form a closure to the open side opposite said fresnel lens;
• and energy converting means carried by said heat sink means and responsive to receipt of solar energy thereon for generating energy in a different form, said energy converting means including a pair of photovoltaic cells disposed to lie in intercepting planes to form a V cell, the confronting surfaces of the open end of said V being the active surfaces of said converting means and facing said lens one of said pair of photovoltaic cells responds to part of the wavelength of light striking same and reflects the remaining wavelength onto the other one of said pair of photovoltaic cells.

A solar energy system of a type serving to convert solar energy to a different form of energy comprising a plurality of elongate energy converting units disposed to form an array thereof and disposed to lie in a plane;

• each said unit being supported on an associated axis to be tipped between advanced and retracted positions;
• means coupled to each said unit for moving said units conjointly between said positions at a rate corresponding to the rate of movement of the sun thereacross.

For use in a solar/electric system as energy converting means serving to convert solar energy to electrical energy comprising first and second photovoltaic cells, each cell carrying a plurality of spaced parallel reflective traces extending thereacross;

• said reflective traces forming operative active portions of said energy converting means, said photovoltaic cells lying in intersecting planes respectively to form a V-cell therefrom in order to reflect unused light from one cell to the other.

For use in a solar/electric system an energy converting means serving to convert solar to electric energy comprising an elongate flat photovoltaic cell and a clear cover overlying same in closely spaced relation;

• said clear cover being formed to include a series of elongate parallel spaced V-shaped surfaces lying substantially in a plane and serving to reduce surface reflections and thereby to enhance the efficiency of said cell.

In a system for converting solar energy into electricity, a module comprising an extruded linear fresnel lens carrying at the sides thereof extruded side walls, a heat sink extending between said side walls at a position remote from said lens, and a photovoltaic cell carried by said heat sink.

In a system for converting solar energy into electricity comprising a photovoltaic cell, an elongate lens and side walls depending therefrom, said walls and lens being extruded together to form an integral joint therebetween, said joint forming a light collecting region.

In a system for converting solar energy to electricity an improved photovoltaic cell assembly comprising a pair of photovoltaic cells disposed adjacent each other, said cells lying respectively in intersecting planes to form a V shape cell assembly, the front surfaces of said V shaped cell carrying active elements thereof for converting solar energy to electrical energy.

In a fresnel lens system wherein the average radial depth of the facets to the focal length of said lens as a percentage thereof lies substantially in the range between 0.8 to 3.5 percent.

In a photovoltaic solar cell comprising plural V cell means;

• reflective trace means carried by said V cell means and angled with respect to each other to form intersecting planes, said trace means serving to form active portions of said cell, and reflective conductive connections disposed and arranged to locate substantially all said V cell mens to be exposed to light.

In a photovoltaic solar generating system an array comprising fixed modules and movable modules, said movable modules being disposed to track the sun in a given direction, said movable and fixed modules being disposed alternately across said array.