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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8188414 | Grid support system for a tracker-mounted solar panel array for rooftop applications A grid support system for tracker-mounted solar panel array for rooftop applications includes a base frame having a plurality of interconnected lateral members which define a generally planar area substantially parallel with the rooftop. The system also includes a s... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8188415 | Terrestrial solar tracking photovoltaic array The terrestrial solar tracking photovoltaic array includes a longitudinal support that may be constructed of discrete sections. The overall length of the array may be adjusted depending upon the necessary size of the array. A drive may be configured to rotate the lo... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8188413 | Terrestrial concentrator solar tracking photovoltaic array A terrestrial concentrator solar tracking photovoltaic array that may include an elongated frame configured to mount concentrator solar cell modules in a longitudinally-extending and spaced-apart arrangement. The frame is able to rotate each of the concentrator sola... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8168931 | Solar tracking device A dual axis tracker is a solar collecting device with fully mobile panel arrays that can be fully rotated 360° and tilted from a 90° position to a 10° position relative to the earth and is easy to maintain and operate. This device has a base support followed by a... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8164038 | Light source direction detection device and method for detecting light source direction A light source detection device includes first photo sensors disposed on a reference plane along a first direction and a control unit. Each first photo sensor has a first sensing surface for detecting a photo intensity of a light source to output a photo intensity s... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8153944 | Tracking solar collector with parallel arrays of cells A tracking concentrator with a positioning system for alternately aiming the tracking solar concentrator based on the sun or a database is disclosed. The preferred positioning system comprises a sensor adapted to detect an incident light level; a tracking database c... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8153945 | Heliostat with integrated image-based tracking controller A system (100) for directing incident sun light to a receiver (150) based on an integral imager (116) is disclosed. The system includes an imager (116) mounted to a reflector (112); a tracking controller (226) coupled to the... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8143563 | Enhanced glare reduction The driver of a vehicle (10) is protected from glare caused by the bright lights of an oncoming vehicle at night, or by the Sun lying low in the sky. The vehicle windshield (20) is divided into pixels (42) whose transparency can be reduced. The ... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8134105 | Light quantity measuring device and method for measuring light quantity that selectively connects light reception elements based on incident light angle A light quantity measuring device includes a first light reception element, a second light, reception element, an identification circuit, and a selection circuit. The first light reception element receives a predetermined incident light at a first light reception su... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8129668 | Solar tracking and concentration device A solar tracking and concentration device, including a reflecting unit, a receiving unit, a controlling device, and a plurality of photo sensors, is provided. The receiving unit is used to receive the sunlight reflected and reflected by the reflecting unit. The rece... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8129667 | Sun-tracking controller for multiple solar collectors A solar collector tracking system is provided for maintaining orientation of multiple solar collectors to the sun to provide optimal focusing of solar radiation on a receiver. The system includes a local controller circuit board that contains a sun-tracking algorith... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8119961 | Solar tracking device for solar panel A solar tracking device for solar panel includes a barrel body, a light transmitting unit, a projecting unit, a photosensor unit, and a lens. The light transmitting unit is disposed at a first end of the barrel body oriented toward the sun. The light transmitting un... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8119963 | High efficiency counterbalanced dual axis solar tracking array frame system A high efficiency, environmentally friendly system comprising a plurality of photovoltaic solar collecting panels (PV panels) is disclosed. The system comprises an outer frame to which a plurality of inner frames are mounted to which the plurality of PV panels are a... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8119962 | Control signal generation of a solar panel orientation system with interference reduction using an infrared filter Disclosed are a system and methods of control signal generation of a solar panel orientation system with interference reduction using an infrared filter. In one embodiment, a solar panel orientation system includes a sensor that generates a control signal component ... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8115151 | Light tracking sensor and sunlight tracking system thereof A light tracking sensor and a sunlight tracking system including the same, the light tracking sensor comprises two or more light tunnel devices. One end of the respective light tunnel devices form a common single-point micro-hole acting as an input port for directio... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8110786 | Multi-element concentrator system A novel concentrator system is described, which increases the efficiency of collecting and concentrating sunlight energy onto a target. This method uses an array of small movable reflective or refractive concentrator components that can move via a feedback mechanism... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8101896 | Solar tracking unit for a steam generator or the like having first and second plurality of photovoltaic cells for generating electrical signals to rotate a concave reflector about first and second axes, respectively A solar tracking unit for concentrating the sun's rays on an absorption receptor includes one or more concave reflectors and an energy absorption receptor disposed between the sun and the reflector. An energy absorbing fluid flows through the receptor and is heated ... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8076625 | Field level tracker controller The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for improving the total power output from a field of solar energy systems. The invention provides a field level tracker controller which calculates an improved positioning of individual solar energy system... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8071930 | Solar collector having a spaced frame support structure with a multiplicity of linear struts The present invention relates to a solar energy collector suitable for use in a solar energy collection system. The solar energy collection system includes the collector, a stand that supports the collector and a tracking system that causes the collector to track mo... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8063349 | Heliostats and solar concentration systems employing heliostats A solar heliostat and system are described with various characteristics particularly suitable for concentrating systems with a relatively large number of small heliostats. Other features contribute to high performance, low cost, high durability, and high temperature... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8049150 | Solar collector with end modifications In one embodiment, a concentrating solar energy collector, which tracks movements of the sun along one axis has a reflective trough, at least one solar receiver mounted above the reflective trough and configured so that incident sunlight striking the reflective trou... | 11/01/2011 |
| 8039777 | Solar collector with reflector having compound curvature The present invention relates to a solar energy collector suitable for use in a solar energy collection system. The solar energy collection system includes the collector, a stand that supports the collector and a tracking system that causes the collector to track mo... | 10/18/2011 |
| 8030605 | Method and device for the utilization of solar energy The present invention concerns an apparatus (100, 200) for and a method of using solar energy. To provide an alternative apparatus (100, 200) and an alternative method of using solar energy which structurally requires less complication and expenditure ... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8017895 | Apparatus for tracking a moving light source A tracking device for automatically following a moving light source that is detectable in the presence of ambient light. A carrier platform including one or more radiant energy conversion devices and a sensor array is mounted to an upright support column with a univ... | 09/13/2011 |
| 7994459 | Camera-based heliostat calibration with artificial light sources Systems and methods of calibrating heliostat parameters for subsequent open-loop sun-tracking, the calibration based on driving artificial light source reflections from one or more heliostats into one or more image sensors. ... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7989746 | Rail-type solar tracking system with focusing function The invention relates to a rail-type solar tracking system with a focusing function. The invention includes a plurality of support elements, a Fresnel lens, a rail platform, a load bearing platform and a pushing device. The system moves a solar cell on the load bear... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7910870 | Solar tracker A solar tracker includes a sunlight-detecting unit, a control unit, a first motor and a second motor. The sunlight-detecting unit detects the position of the sun. Based on the position of the sun, the control unit instructs the first motor to rotate a solar cell arr... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7906750 | Heliostat with integrated image-based tracking controller A system (100) for directing incident sun light to a receiver (150) based on an integral imager (116) is disclosed. The system includes an imager (116) mounted to a reflector (112); a tracking controller (226) coupled to the... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7906751 | Solar sensor including first and additional modulators The invention pertains to a solar sensor that includes a first modulator that is transparent to electromagnetic waves within a spectrum, and an additional modulator that is at best slightly transparent to the electromagnetic waves within the spectrum. The additional... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7902490 | Solid-state sun tracker This invention deals with the general topic of adaptive non-imaging tracking of the sun. A transmission-mode electro-optical system is presented for solar energy tracking and collection. The scale of the system may range from small portable systems to large-scale in... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7893391 | Positional sensor for solar energy conversion device A positional sensor for a solar energy collection device includes a fine sensing device having first light-sensitive sensors supported above a base so that adjacent first light-sensitive sensors are oriented in mutually orthogonal directions at a sensor height above... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7884308 | Solar-powered sun tracker A power solar panel is maintained in an optimum position relative to the sun during daylight as the sun traverses a solar track elevated above the horizon and extending from a sunrise location to a sunset location during each day of consecutive days of the year by u... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7847228 | Solar energy collector with calculation of the trajectory of the sun according to the motion of a shadow of a projecting pointer A solar energy collector includes a parabolic reflector, a solar panel, a photosensor panel, a projecting pointer, a solar location calculator, and a reflector mount. The parabolic reflector includes a parabolic reflecting surface. The solar panel includes a light r... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7834303 | Multi-element concentrator system A novel concentrator system is described, which increases the efficiency of collecting sunlight energy and concentrates it on a target. This method uses an array of small movable reflective or refractive concentrator components that can move via a feedback mechanism... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7800036 | System and method for creating a networked infrastructure roadway distribution platform of solar energy gathering devices A roadway system for energy generation and distribution is presented. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the roadway system comprises a plurality of solar energy generating devices, and a roadway system electricity grid. The solar energy generating ... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7795568 | Solar tracking for terrestrial solar arrays An automated method causes a terrestrial solar cell array to track the sun. The solar cell system includes motors that adjust a position of the array along different respective axes with respect to the sun, wherein a first motor adjusts the inclination angle of the ... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7763835 | Dual-axis solar tracker mounted on a two-slope grate column The invention relates to a solar tracker characterized by having photovoltaic panels arranged in spaced rows at different levels and two slopes, favoring their ventilation and the expansion of the frame; the panels being fixed by means of yokes and clips to a suppor... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7723658 | Solar sensor having microspheres on the inside face of the protective cap A solar sensor is provided that has microspheres on an interior face of a protective cap or of another radiation-transparent area above a transducer of the sensor. The microspheres scatter the light but at the same time have a much lower damping effect. Preferably, ... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7718941 | Baffled sun sensor antenna alignment monitors A directional alignment and alignment monitoring sensor system that is designed to be mounted to a directional or omni-directional antenna wherein the system includes a sensor having one or more phototransistors that are associated with one or more baffle members an... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7714260 | Stackable heliostat frame structure A heliostat includes a pedestal, a transmission system, a heliostat frame assembly, and a mirror assembly. The heliostat frame assembly generally includes a first heliostat frame set and a second heliostat frame set mounted to the transmission system which is mounte... | 05/11/2010 |
