Sun Tracking Foldable Solar Umbrellas for Electricity and Hot Water Generation

摘要

A lightweight, small volume and highly portable solar electricity collector. The collector may be configured as a solar umbrella made up of components that are able to fold up into a small package and fit inside of a portable canister or cover. The collector may include a single stage or multiple stage concentration to focus light from foldable yet rigid reflective surfaces onto photovoltaic cells. In a single stage system, light is concentrated by a parabolic mirror directing sunlight onto arrays of photovoltaic cells. With a two stage solar concentration, the first concentration is made with a parabolic foldable umbrella. A 3-stage solar collector is also disclosed.