Solar energy integrated building and solar collector system thereof

Abstract

A complete energy and water integrated building in a number of modules that may be usable together. The prime module is a solar collector-roof focuses sunlight on inverted strips of fluid-cooled photocells. A second module uses the heated photocell cooling-fluid as winter heating or to charge a heat storage device. A third module uses the heat from photocell cooling to concentrate a liquid desiccant. Water vapor is condensed to liquid water in this module. The concentrated desiccant is used to dry air (humidity extraction). External source of water enables the production of ‘added’ distilled water to increase the reserves of water within the building's water recycle system. Module 5 is a greenhouse with controlled insulation. This module is from liquid foam insulation technology that is in public domain and an invention.

1 . A solar collection system comprising:
 a primary reflector for reflecting sunlight onto a secondary collector, the primary collector including a trough with reflective inner walls;   a secondary reflector having a pair downward facing photocells for collecting light from said primary reflector and converting the light into electricity, each of said pair of photocells having walls extending outward from said photocells to concentrate light onto said photocell;   said photocells facing at least 90 degrees from each other;   a top mounted solar collector for receiving light from above said pair of photocells' walls;   a pair of diametrically faced bottom solar collectors for collecting light that reflects off of said primary reflector to below said pair of photocell's walls.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said top solar collector is a solar heater transferring solar heat to a circulating cooling fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said pair of bottom solar collectors are solar heaters transferring solar heat to a circulating cooling fluid. 
     
     
         4 . A method of heating a building comprising:
 providing a building having an upper surface;   providing at least one trough on the upper surface exposed to the atmosphere;   forming a primary reflector in said trough for reflecting sunlight onto a secondary collector, wherein the trough includes reflective inner walls;   providing a secondary reflector having a pair downward facing photocells for collecting light from said primary reflector and converting the light into electricity, each of said pair of photocells having walls extending outward from said photocells to concentrate light onto said photocell;   providing said photocells facing at least 90′ degrees from each other;   providing a top mounted solar collector for receiving light from above said pair of photocells' walls, wherein said top solar collector is a solar heater transferring solar heat to a circulating cooling fluid;   providing a pair of diametrically faced bottom solar collectors for collecting light that reflects off of said primary reflector to below said pair of photocell's walls;   moving said cooling fluid to a heat exchanger to release heat from said top mounted solar collector to a desiccant heating pipe;   heating the desiccant to release water from the desiccant;   capturing the fluid from the desiccant in a tank.   
     
     
         5 . The method of heating a building of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a cable attached to said pair of photocell walls to change the direction the opening defined by said walls;   moving said walls with said cable to optimally direct said wall opening throughout the year to maximize light received by said pair of photocells;   
     
     
         6 . The method of heating a building of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a cable attached to said pair of photocell walls to change the direction the opening defined by said walls;   moving said walls with said cable to optimally direct said wall opening to maximize light received from said primary reflector.   
     
     
         7 . The method of heating a building of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 providing a solar target separate from said photocells to measure the amount of light received by said primary reflector.   
     
     
         8 . The method of heating a building of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 taking an infrared scan of at least one of the photocells and photocell walls to determine the temperature distribution across the photocell walls;   changing the direction of opening of the photocell walls based on said reading to maximize the light received by the photocells from the primary reflector.