FRENCH ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION TO ELECTRICITY.

The French government considers as a high priority the development of new sources of energy. Besides developing nuclear energy for electricity production, it has launched a research and development program for solar energy conversion and utilization, particularly by the thermodynamic conversion method. The thermodynamic conversion of solar energy is obtained by exposing a black absorber to the sun's rays either directly or after concentration by an optical system. The heat received by the absorber is transferred to a heat machine and converted into mechanical then electric energy by means of a heat machine driving an alternator. The long term objective of this program is power plants, usable in France, but intermediate steps of this program give birth to small power plants well fitted to the needs of developing countries. Flat collector solar power plants are already commercial items, sold in many countries by a French company. Distributed concentration collector systems are under development and large demonstration units will be tested during the next eighteen months. A project of a solar tower power plant of 2 MW is well under way: its building has begun in the South of France and its operation is scheduled for the fall of next year.