Patent ID: 8110786

Claim:
A system for concentrating sunlight, said system comprising: an array of reflective elements, refractive elements, or a combination thereof, each of said reflective elements and said refractive elements comprising (i) a rigid slab comprising a conductive material that has a reflective or refractive top surface and (ii) a tilt mechanism that tilts said rigid slab, said tilt mechanism comprising an X-direction actuation mechanism and a Y-direction actuation mechanism; at least two photodetectors located a distance from each other; a differential tracker receiving signals from said photodetectors and generating a tracking signal related to or proportional to said signals from said photodetectors; a tracking and control processor receiving said tracking signal from said differential tracker and controlling said tilt mechanisms such that said rigid slabs are tilted in the X-direction and the Y-direction in response thereto; and a target that coverts sunlight to another form of energy, configured to absorb energy reflected from the reflective elements, the refractive elements, or the combination thereof.