What is thermodynamic solar energy?

Also called solar thermal power (STP), this process transforms light energy into thermal energy by concentrating incident rays onto a heat transfer fluid, which is then directly or indirectly transformed into steam.

Unlike photovoltaic solar panels, which directly convert sunlight into electricity, STP uses mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight onto a fluid, which is then heated to a very high temperature.

This thermal energy is then converted into mechanical energy by a turbine, and finally into electrical energy by a generator.

It is worth noting that the first power plant of this type built in France in 1983 (construction began in September 1979) and named Themis (located in Targasonne in the Pyrénées-Orientales department) was one of the first in the world. However, France's considerable lead was wiped out by the plant's closure in 1986.