Abstract: An energy-management application may be resident on a mobile computing device to access information and control components associated with one or more solar generation sites. A graphic user interface presents multiple pages to both 1) monitor information regarding the solar generation sites and 2) control components within the solar generation sites from the mobile computing device. The application detects as an input on a currently displayed page from the sequence of multiple pages both a rate and a pattern of finger swipe gestures made on the currently displayed page. The application, in response to detection of both the rate and pattern of the finger gestures on the touch screen display, performs at least one of 1) activation of one or more of the data items, one or more of the links, or one or more of the objects, and 2) navigation to another page in the sequence of pages.

Abstract: A multiple junction photovoltaic cell is optically coupled to the Fresnel lens with teeth. The set of teeth within a given ring of a ringed pattern of teeth on the Fresnel lens may have 1) varying surface angles of different teeth across the lens, 2) varying refractive indexes of the different teeth or 3) a combination of both. The differing surface angles or refractive indexes of different teeth within a given ring of a ringed pattern of teeth establish multiple focal lengths aimed at five or more different axial target focal points within an anticipated zone of operation relative to the multiple junction photovoltaic cell to create a window of averaged intensity of light defined by the five or more different axial target focal points.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a solar array has its surface area structurally broken up into multiple discreet components smaller in size than the entire solar array itself. Multiple paddle pair assemblies form and make up the surface area of the solar array. Two or more of the paddle structures form a paddle pair assembly per tilt axle of the two axis tracker mechanism. A set of solar receivers, each with its own secondary concentrator optic is aligned within and secured in place in each CPV module in a paddle structure. All of the photovoltaic cells on the two axis tracker mechanism are electrically connected to form the voltage output from the solar array.

Abstract: A plurality of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) arrays located at a solar site may be operated and communicate with a central backend management system over a public wide area network. Each of the CPV arrays is associated with a different system control point (SCP). Each SCP includes circuitry with test points for performance monitoring of at least 1) an electrical power generating circuitry that generates alternating current (AC) voltage output and 2) a tracker motion control circuit to control a position of the CPV array for that SCP, and 1) configured logic, 2) resident software applications, or 3) any combination of both in the SCP is configured to collect the performance monitoring information and store in a memory of the SCP. The information from the circuitry with test points for performance monitoring is communicated to the central backend management system over the public wide area network.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for a two axis tracking mechanism for a concentrated photovoltaic system. Two or more paddle structures containing multiple CPV modules are installed onto each tilt axle on the common roll axle as part of the two-axis tracking mechanism's solar array. The two or more paddle structures couple across the common roll axle on that tilt axle. The common roll axle and each paddle assembly are manufactured in simple modular sections that assemble easily in the field while maintaining the alignment of the tracker assembly.

Abstract: A central backend management system to manage two or more solar sites each having a plurality of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) arrays. frontend application servers in the management system are configured to 1) provide web hosting of web pages, 2) generate and present user interfaces to each client device in communication with the frontend application servers in order to view information of components of the CPV arrays and to issue commands to control operations of the components of the CPV arrays. Each of the CPV arrays is associated with a different system control point, which are communicatively connected to the central backend management system over a wide area network (WAN) using a secured channel.

Abstract: Storing manufacturing data in a relational database associated with a central backend management system. A plurality of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) arrays are located at a remote solar site. Each of the CPV arrays and the components making up that CPV array is associated with its set of manufacturing data. The manufacturing data of the CPV arrays and the components making up that CPV array includes serial number information of the components of the CPV arrays and measured manufacturing data for those components, which allows a calculation of at least projected performance information of the CPV array during an actual operation of that CPV array at the remote solar site. Comparing the projected performance information of the CPV array to the actual performance information during the actual operation of that CPV array at the solar site.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for a two axis tracking mechanism for a concentrated photovoltaic system. Two or more components forming the support structure of the two-axis tracker mechanism, which are assembled in the field and are manufactured to allow one or more lasers to align the support structure of the two-axis tracker mechanism in three dimensions vertical (X) dimension, horizontal (Y) dimension, and diagonal (Z) dimension at a site where the concentrated photovoltaic system is to be installed. Adjustable leveling mechanisms are built into the two or more components forming the support structure.

Abstract: A hybrid solar tracking algorithm is implemented in a two-axis solar tracker mechanism for a concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system in order to control the movement of the two-axis solar tracker mechanism. The hybrid solar tracking algorithm uses both 1) an Ephemeris calculation and 2) an offset value from a matrix to determine the angular coordinates for the CPV cells contained in the two-axis solar tracker mechanism to be moved to in order to achieve a highest power out of the CPV cells. The matrix populates with data from periodic calibration measurements of actual power being generated by the solar tracker and the tracking algorithm applies Kalman filtering to those measurements over time of the operation of the solar tracking mechanism to create the offset value being applied to the Ephemeris calculation to determine the angular coordinates for the CPV cells.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for a two axis tracking mechanism for a concentrated photovoltaic system. A solar array of the two axis tracking mechanism is structurally broken up to have multiple independently movable sets of concentrated photovoltaic solar (CPV) cells. Further, the remainder of the two-axis tracker is manufactured in simple sections that assemble easily in the field while maintaining the alignment of the tracker assembly. The CPV cells are located in two or more paddle assemblies, and the paddle assemblies couple to a common roll axle. Each of the multiple paddle assemblies contains its own set of the CPV solar cells that is independently movable on its own tilt axle from other sets of CPV cells on that two axis tracking mechanism. Each paddle assembly has its own drive mechanism for that tilt axle.

Abstract: Each of the CPV arrays at a solar site is coupled with a different system control point (SCP) to be communicatively connected to a central backend management system associated with that solar site. The management system is configured to present a plurality of user interfaces via the Internet to a browser of a user's client device to enable the user to navigate to and then 1) view information for various components and 2) send a command to perform an action for various components for the various components associated with the CPV arrays. The plurality of user interfaces presented to the user based on the management system having authenticated the user as being allowed to view the information related to the CPV array.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for a concentrated photovoltaic system. A method of creating a paddle structure with a set of solar receivers that are aligned within and mechanically secured in place in each module contained in a paddle structure. Each solar receiver is assembled and aligned, where the assembly of the solar receiver establishes the alignment of the secondary optic to the photovoltaic solar cell. The assembly of a module with its set of solar receivers establishes the alignment in three dimensions the solar receivers with each other. Individual parts making up the receiver are 1) shaped, 2) sized, 3) keyed, 4) pinned and 5) any combination of these to fit together in only one way so that all of the solar receivers containing the photovoltaic solar cell maintain their alignment when installed in a given CPV module.

Abstract: Angle mapping logic for a solar array of a two-axis tracker mechanism for the concentrated photovoltaic system is configured to facilitate a remotely initiated angle mapping process and then remotely diagnose movement and other pointing errors in the solar array on the two-axis solar tracker mechanism. Deviations in power produced in a set of test points of the angle mapping process and shapes of the plotted information provide diagnostics to indicate error locations and types of pointing errors present in the equipment in the solar array and in the two-axis tracker mechanism. Information from the angle mapping process is sent over a network to a remote server for analysis. The test can be initiated from the remote server.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus are described for a photovoltaic system. In an embodiment, a method for performing auto-configuration of a concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) array installed in a solar site having multiple CPV arrays. The central backend management system sends auto-configuration files over the Internet to each of the two-axis tracking mechanisms installed at the solar site based upon the GPS coordinates of each of the two-axis tracking mechanisms and that two-axis tracking mechanism's relative position in the layout of the two-axis tracking mechanisms located at the solar site.

Abstract: An integrated electronics housing contains both system electronics and power generation circuits for a two-axis tracker assembly having a CPV solar array. The housing contains at least a communication bus, motion control circuits, and inverter circuits, and acts as the local system control point for that tracker mechanism. The inverter circuits generate three-phase AC voltage that is supplied to a grid interface transformer. Each inverter receives a bipolar DC voltage supplied from its own set of CPV cells. The motion control circuits move the CPV cells of the tracker mechanism to angular coordinates resulting from a solar tracking algorithm. The communication bus connects to the motion control circuits and the inverter circuits to facilitate communications of information, including parameters of power being generated by the inverter circuits, between the motion control circuits and the AC inverter circuits to fine tune the AC power generated out of the tracker mechanism.

Abstract: In an embodiment, inverter circuitry has switching devices that generate three-phase AC voltage that is supplied to a utility power grid interface transformer. A high impedance circuit as well as a ground fault monitoring circuit couple to the inverter circuit. The high impedance circuit is configured to periodically create a path to Earth ground, and thus, completes the Earth ground electrical path back to the ground fault detection circuit. A set of isolation contacts at the AC 3-phase power output connect as well as isolate this particular inverter from the utility grid interface transformer. Control components in the ground fault monitoring circuit control the operation of the isolation contacts based off a presence of a ground fault in ungrounded solar arrays that supply DC power to this ungrounded inverter circuitry when the ground fault is detected by the ground fault monitor circuit for that ungrounded inverter.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus are described for an integrated remotely controlled photovoltaic system having a number of components. A central backend server management system is configured to facilitate management of two or more solar arrays at a remote site from a client device connected over a public wide area network (WAN). An integrated electronics housing contains multiple circuits, including power generation inverter circuits and solar array motion control circuits for one or more PhotoVoltaic (PV) solar arrays at the remote site. The multiple circuits cohesively exist in the integrated electronics housing and actually perform better because of the interconnectivity. The communication circuitry within the integrated electronics housing is configured to establish secure communications over the WAN with the central backend server management system. The integrated electronics housing acts as the local system control point for the first solar array.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus are described for a photovoltaic system. In an embodiment, pluralities of three-phase Alternating Current (AC) inverter circuits electrically connect into a common three phase AC output. Each of those inverters receives a bipolar DC voltage supplied from its own set of Concentrated PhotoVoltaic (CPV) modules.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus are described for a photovoltaic system. In an embodiment, a hybrid grounding circuit as well as a ground fault monitoring circuit are in the inverter circuitry with its switching devices that generate three-phase Alternating Current (AC) voltage. The three-phase AC voltage is supplied to a utility power grid interface transformer, where a primary-side common node of the Utility Power grid interface transformer is connected to Earth ground. Each inverter has 1) its own set of isolation contacts to connect as well as isolate this particular inverter from the utility grid interface transformer, and 2) control components in the ground fault monitoring circuit for controlling operation of the isolation contacts based off a presence of the ground fault detected by the ground fault monitor circuit for that inverter. The inverter circuit receives a DC voltage supplied from its own set of ungrounded Concentrated PhotoVoltaic modules.