Utility-friendly hybrid energy conversion system for apportioning concentrated solar radiation in real time upon selective demand between a plurality of solar energy conversion devices, including a photovoltaic receiver

A hybrid energy conversion system for apportioning concentrated solar radiation in real time upon selective intelligent demand between a plurality of solar energy conversion devices, including a photovoltaic receiver, said system comprising:

• a collector trough so sized, positioned, oriented and shaped to concentrate said solar radiation to create a concentrated angular distribution of light, said concentrated angular distribution of light possessing at least one of a focal length and a delivery length, as measured from a surface of said collector trough to a relative maximum of highly concentrated solar light formed thereby;
• a first solar energy conversion device selected from a thermal collector, and said photovoltaic receiver, so formed, sized, shaped, positioned and oriented to receive at least some of said solar radiation from said collector trough via said highly concentrated solar light in said concentrated angular distribution of light;
• a selectively deployable capture element so formed, sized, shaped, positioned and oriented to capture selectively on demand at least some of said concentrated angular distribution of light for conversion by a second solar energy conversion device selected correspondingly from the other of said photovoltaic receiver and said thermal collector, said capture element comprising operatively said second solar energy conversion device;
• wherein said capture element is selectively deployable for light capture by rotating and translating the selectively deployable capture element with respect to the collector trough, the rotation and translation occurring to, from, or within a space between said thermal collector and said collector trough.

A hybrid energy conversion system comprising:

• a support having two ends;
• a heat sink support mounted to and extending between the two ends;
• a photovoltaic receiver mounted to the heat sink support;
• a thermal tube collector mounted to and extending between the two ends above the heat sink support and the photovoltaic receiver;
• a collector trough located below the photovoltaic receiver at a distance from the thermal tube collector, the distance being a focal length of solar radiation reflected by the collector trough toward the thermal tube collector;
• a pivoting rotatable arm mounted to the support;
• and
• a selectively deployable capture element, the heat sink support, and the photovoltaic receiver mounted to the rotatable arm, the selectively deployable capture element having a transitionable reflectivity or transmissivity,
• wherein, the selectively deployable capture element is configured to:
• pivot between a position below or next to the thermal tude collector and a position next to the collector trough in response to movement of the rotatable arm,
• rotate about an axis extending between the two ends of the support, and
• translate along an axis extending between the photovoltaic receiver and the thermal tube collector.