Patent ID: 7741557

Claim:
An apparatus for obtaining energy from a polychromatic radiant energy source, the apparatus comprising: a) a light concentrator for concentrating and redirecting incident radiant energy, the light concentrator having an optical axis; b) a spectral separator spaced apart from the light concentrator and disposed along the optical axis and in the path of concentrated, redirected radiant energy, the spectral separator comprising: (i) a first planar surface treated to reflect a first spectral band of light received from the light concentrator toward a first focal region of the light concentrator and to transmit a second spectral band; (ii) a second planar surface spaced apart from the first planar surface and oblique with respect to the first planar surface, wherein the second planar surface is treated to reflect the second spectral band back through the first planar surface and toward a second focal region of the light concentrator that is spaced apart from the first focal region; and c) first and second light receivers, wherein the first light receiver is disposed nearest the first focal region for receiving the first spectral band and the second light receiver is disposed nearest the second focal region for receiving the second spectral band.