There are beautiful plants which exploit the solar energy, but they are unfortunately quite marginal.

The document here according to the french CEA exposes the 3 ways for solar energy :
        - the thermal solar
        - the photovoltaic solar
        - the thermodynamic solar


The thermal solar energy  is the simplest, but doesn't produce an electric energy. It consists in simple dark panels that absorb the direct and diffuse solar radiance and convert it in heat. The levels of temperature (about 100°C) allow the heating of the dwellings and the sanitary water, but these temperatures are too weak to achieve a thermomechanical conversion with good output.

The photovoltaïc solar energy is more sophisticated and makes "the opposite" of the thermal solar : it directly produces an electric energy without producing exploitable heat, except if it uses the OPALE device. It requires some supports with thin layers of semiconductors, notably of the doped silicium, that makes currently the object of active research. Nevertheless, it is not necessary to expect to big progress of the output of these panels. Currently to 14%, they will probably reach a tray of 25% in the next decades.

In spite of this very modest output, the photovoltaïc solar is able to use both direct and diffuse solar radiance. It is the only way to convert the diffuse radiance or crossing a cloudy cover, but it "wastes" the direct solar radiance that can be converted with a very superior output by following the thermodynamic way, especially the new PHRSD...

The thermodynamic solar energy, the way of better direct "solar to electric" output, 

The thermodynamic solar is one of the best valorizations of the concentrated solar radiance (only using the direct solar radiance). It designates the production of electricity from a heat at very strong temperature (several hundreds, or even thousands of °C) achieved thanks to opened or closed thermodynamic cycles (to convection, steam-powered, of Brayton Joule, to combined cycles, Stirling...).

Three main processes exist :

- the tower power plants, themselves classables solar in concentration or convection methods : convection is occuring while bottome heated air is rising until the cold top of the tower situated at 1000 m of altitude (!) . This last technique is experimental and let foretell a weak output, whereas the first is already industrialized and present an appropriate output.

Solar concentration power station to Central tower and solar convection tower

- the power stations with cylindro-parabolic or parabolic collecting mirrors associated to opened thermodynamic cycles (very often circulation of water and cycle steam) and also closed Stirling cycle

"Dish Stirling"  Power station                   Cylindro-parabolic concentrating mirrors

- the adjustable parabolic concentrators often partners to Stirling motors (Dish Stirling).

The best present realizations reach 30% of global output "of the sun to the electric network." In this domain also, the output reaches a tray : indeed, at 700°C, the present thermal collectors collect the focused rays and lose as much energy that captures the mirrors by direct reflexion (you're invited to throw an eye on the solar tower...), radiance of infrared (invisible to the naked eye) and thermal conduction (invisible also). The thermal trapping output is then almost hopeless. It forces the current solar thermodynamic stations to run on lower temperatures (500 to 600°C) ranges very bad for the output.

The PHRSD concept designed by SYCOMOREEN is an "hyperthermal trap of the direct solar radiance." It is fully in line with the heliothermodynamic path, but with a radical new hyperthermal approach obtained with a sophisticated confinement of the direct solar radiance.

The hot source becomes then sufficiently overheated (a few thousands of °C) to grant outputs of more than 50% from the sun to network, or even 60% with carefully chosen materials, either two times better than the best present art, and five times better than photovoltaïc panels.