"Half inch copper tubing deforms under it's own weight after 20 seconds."

Upcoming and past events concerning solar concentrators.

Very detailed plans for a decent sized solar concentrator that can be easily made with common materials.

From the US Department of energy:

• Technology Overview
• The Solar Resource
• How Does It Work?
• Business and Market Opportunities
• What Does It Cost?

For those who dream of giant solar collectors which can generate temperatures high enough to melt steel, here is a method for building your own Solar Furnace of any size you desire...

A multifunctional improved efficiency photovoltaic panel.

Not exactly a DIY project, but here is NASA explaining how their solar concentrator for their ion propulsion unit works.

Concentrator design for a panel powering an ion propulsion system.

Cypress semiconductor concentrator cells explained.