A linear solar receiver (400, 700, 1100) for use in a concentrating solar power system, said receiver comprising: a solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704. 1104) having an outer surface configured to circumscribe an interior volume, said interior volume designed to contain a heat transfer medium (406, 706. 1106), said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704. 1104) designed to absorb an incident flux of solar radiation and transfer an absorbed flux of energy to said heat transfer medium (406, 706, 1106), said receiver being configured to work with a heat transfer medium designed to receive at least a portion of said absorbed flux of energy and to be primarily in a fluid phase when transporting at least a portion of said absorbed flux of energy, said receiver further comprising a solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) configured to be stable in air at an operating temperature of at least 300 degrees Celsius, said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) located on a first portion of said outer surface of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104), said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) comprising a single layer, said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) having a thermal emittance value and an optical absorptance value, said optical absorptance value being different from said thermal emittance value, said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) being exposed to ambient atmospheric pressure, wherein said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) comprises a selective absorber coating; a substantially opaque thermally insulating jacket (416, 716, 1116), said substantially opaque thermally insulating jacket (416, 716, 1116) surrounding a second portion of said outer surface of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104); and a solar radiation admitting region (412, 712, 1112) having an interior surface, at least a portion of said solar radiation admitting region (412, 712, 1112) being surrounded by at least a portion of said substantially opaque thermally insulating jacket (416, 716, 1116), said solar radiation admitting region (412, 712, 1112) designed to allow transmission of at least a portion of said incident flux of solar radiation to be incident on said solar absorber (404, 704, 1104), said solar radiation admitting region (412, 712, 1112) being symmetric with respect to a plane parallel to a length dimension of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104), said plane oriented in a perpendicular direction to said outer surface of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104); characterized in that: said first portion of said outer surface of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104) is substantially planar and further characterised in that the selective absorber coating is a plasmonic nanochain cermet structure. a solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704. 1104) having an outer surface configured to circumscribe an interior volume, said interior volume designed to contain a heat transfer medium (406, 706. 1106), said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704. 1104) designed to absorb an incident flux of solar radiation and transfer an absorbed flux of energy to said heat transfer medium (406, 706, 1106), said receiver being configured to work with a heat transfer medium designed to receive at least a portion of said absorbed flux of energy and to be primarily in a fluid phase when transporting at least a portion of said absorbed flux of energy, said receiver further comprising a solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) configured to be stable in air at an operating temperature of at least 300 degrees Celsius, said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) located on a first portion of said outer surface of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104), said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) comprising a single layer, said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) having a thermal emittance value and an optical absorptance value, said optical absorptance value being different from said thermal emittance value, said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) being exposed to ambient atmospheric pressure, wherein said solar absorber (418, 718, 1118) comprises a selective absorber coating; a substantially opaque thermally insulating jacket (416, 716, 1116), said substantially opaque thermally insulating jacket (416, 716, 1116) surrounding a second portion of said outer surface of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104); and a solar radiation admitting region (412, 712, 1112) having an interior surface, at least a portion of said solar radiation admitting region (412, 712, 1112) being surrounded by at least a portion of said substantially opaque thermally insulating jacket (416, 716, 1116), said solar radiation admitting region (412, 712, 1112) designed to allow transmission of at least a portion of said incident flux of solar radiation to be incident on said solar absorber (404, 704, 1104), said solar radiation admitting region (412, 712, 1112) being symmetric with respect to a plane parallel to a length dimension of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104), said plane oriented in a perpendicular direction to said outer surface of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104); characterized in that: said first portion of said outer surface of said solar radiation absorbing element (404, 704, 1104) is substantially planar and further characterised in that the selective absorber coating is a plasmonic nanochain cermet structure.