Patent ID: 8463092

Claim:
A photovoltaic (PV) system comprising: (a) a fiber optical waveguide including (i) an active core hosting material configured to absorb and emit light, (ii) a lattice cladding layer surrounding the active core, the lattice cladding layer being configured to allow ambient light to pass through the lattice cladding layer, and the lattice cladding layer comprising a plurality of air pockets defined within a lattice structure such that the lattice cladding layer comprises mostly air, and (iii) an outer cladding layer surrounding the lattice cladding layer, the outer cladding layer being configured to allow ambient light to pass through the outer cladding layer, and being further configured to serve as a protective layer, and (iv) an exit port located proximate an end of the waveguide; and (b) one or more solar cells disposed at the exit port of the waveguide; (c) wherein the waveguide is configured to guide light to the one or more solar cells; and (d) wherein a cross-sectional area of the active core of the fiber optical waveguide represents a majority of a cross-sectional area of the fiber optical waveguide.