NOVELTY - The absorber/emitter has a first layer comprising an array of non-shiny-metal plates of engineered shapes that predominately absorbs energy at wavelengths between 250 nanometer and 1 micrometer, resonate at wavelengths between 1.5 micrometer and 3 micrometer and reflect energy at wavelengths greater than 3.5 micrometer. A second layer comprises a non-metallic plate in intimate contact with the first layer. A third layer comprises a metal ground plate in intimate contact with the second layer. A fourth layer comprises a transparent substrate in intimate contact with the third layer.    USE - Thin-film integrated spectrally-selective plasmonic absorber/emitter (ISSAE) for a solar energy converter (claimed) utilized in a concentrated solar thermal (CST) system and in a solar thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system, to wrap hot surfaces i.e. hot storage pipes filled with heat-exchange fluid, provide thermal insulation through suppression of infrared emission and to engineer thermal emission spectrum to coincide with the bandgap of thermo-photovoltaic cells.    ADVANTAGE - The absorber/emitter reduces spectrally-integrated emissivity, and efficiently absorbs all of solar radiation incident on a hot surface from sun without emitting infrared radiation produced by the hot surface. The absorber/emitter targets emission spectrum, and enables emission wavelength to be matched to a bandgap of photovoltaic cell, thus improving the efficiency of energy conversion into electricity. The absorber/emitter improves efficiency of sunlight collection, improves energy storage by providing heat insulation to hot heat-exchange agents, improves efficiency of electricity generation by photovoltaic cells, reduces heat by high-energy photons and enables the use of thinner photovoltaic cells.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The engineered shape is selected from a group consisting of square, rectangle, hexagon, swiss-cross and circle. The metal ground plate is a thin flexible conformable metallic foil. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a solar energy converter.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a perspective view of a TPV system comprising an ISSAE.