Concentrating solar power with glasshouses

Abstract

A protective transparent enclosure (such as a glasshouse or a greenhouse) encloses a concentrated solar power system (e.g. a thermal and/or a photovoltaic system). The concentrated solar power system includes one or more solar concentrators and one or more solar receivers. Thermal power is provided to an industrial process, electrical power is provided to an electrical distribution grid, or both. In some embodiments, the solar concentrators are dish-shaped mirrors that are mechanically coupled to a joint that enables rotation at a fixed distance about respective solar collectors that are fixed in position with respect to the protective transparent enclosure. In some embodiments, the solar collectors are suspended from structure of the protective transparent enclosure and the solar concentrators are suspended from the solar collectors. In some embodiments, the greenhouse is a Dutch Venlo style greenhouse.

1 . A system comprising:
 means for establishing an at least partially enclosed interior region comprising a selectively protected environment relative to an exterior region;   means for transmittance of solar radiation from a sun to the interior region;   within the interior region, means for solar energy receiving at each of a plurality of interior region focal points; and   within the interior region, means for point-focus concentrating a fraction of the solar radiation transmitted on the interior region focal points while concurrently tracking relative motion of the sun and maintaining the interior region focal points stationary.   
     
     
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