Patent ID: 8168879

Claim:
A solar-electrical generator, comprising: an evacuated housing having at least a top surface which is transparent to solar radiation; a radiation-capture structure having a front surface and a back surface, said front surface being adapted for exposure to solar radiation so as to generate heat; at least one thermoelectric converter thermally coupled to said structure at a high temperature end thereof to receive at least a portion of said generated heat such that a temperature differential is achieved across the at least one thermoelectric converter; and a backing structure located in the evacuated housing; wherein said backing structure contacts a low-temperature end of said thermoelectric converter; wherein said entire backing structure is located entirely in the evacuated housing wherein said housing is made from glass or plastic which is transparent to the solar radiation; wherein said radiation-capture structure does not physically contact the evacuated housing except indirectly through the at least one thermoelectric converter; wherein said radiation-capture structure is characterized by a capture area of the front surface adapted to be exposed to solar radiation and the plurality of thermoelectric converters are characterized by a converter area, a ratio of capture area to converter area being greater than about 100; wherein the solar-electrical generator is configured such that the entire radiation capture structure is exposed to solar radiation which is not concentrated or concentrated less than 4 times; and wherein the radiation-capture structure directly physically contacts an end of the at least one thermoelectric converter.