Reconfigurable intelligent surface

A photovoltaic (PV) apparatus for the conversion of light into electrical energy is described. The PV apparatus has a surface to receive incident light, one or more PV elements in or at the surface, the PV element to convert light incident on the surface into electrical energy by the photovoltaic effect, and one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) elements in or at the surface, the RIS element operating as reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) direct or reflect one or more incident electromagnetic (EM) waves or one or more incident EM beams incident on the surface from an incident first direction into one or more outgoing EM waves or one or more outgoing EM beams propagating along at least one second direction.