Patent ID: 6931851

Claim:
A solar power system comprising: a first receiver panel comprised of at least one tube for capturing solar energy; a second receiver panel comprised of at least one tube for capturing solar energy, said second receiver panel disposed in close proximity to said first receiver panel to form a space between said first receiver panel and said second receiver panel; a third receiver panel comprised of at least one tube for capturing solar energy disposed between said first receiver panel and said second receiver panel to effectively occupy said space; each of said tubes extending across each of said receiver panels to form a substantially continuous tube surface across said first receiver panel, said second receiver panel, and said third receiver panel; a first header secured to a first end of said at least one tube of each of said first, second, and third receiver panels for introducing a fluid that absorbs solar energy into said tubes; and a second header secured to a second end of said at least one tube of each of said first, second, and third receiver panels for collecting said fluid after said fluid passes through said tube; wherein said headers of said first receiver panel are disposed in a first plane, said headers of said third receiver panel are disposed in a second plane laterally offset from said first plane, and said headers of said second receiver panel are disposed in said first plane such that said headers of said first receiver panel and said second receiver panel at least partially overlap said headers of said third receiver panel.