Patent ID: 7709730

Claim:
A photovoltaic solar energy collector suitable for use in a solar energy collection system that includes the collector, a stand that supports the collector and a tracking system that causes the collector to track movements of the sun along at least one axis, the collector comprising: a plurality of reflector panels; a support structure that supports the reflector panels, wherein the support structure supports the reflector panels in a manner that defines a pair of adjacent reflector troughs, each trough having a base, a pair of reflective side walls and a trough aperture suitable for receiving incident sunlight during operation of the collector; a plurality of solar receivers, each solar receiver being positioned generally adjacent an edge of an associated trough and including at least one photovoltaic cell, wherein each reflective sidewall is configured to direct incident sunlight directly onto a corresponding solar receiver using a single stage of concentration during operation of the collector; and a frame that is coupled to the support structure near the bases of the troughs to define a closed reflector support truss framework in cooperation with the support structure, wherein the reflector support truss framework is positioned behind the reflector troughs such that the reflector support truss framework does not shadow the reflector panels during operation of the collector.