Solar energy can be collected and concentrated, and then converted into electrical energy. A solar power generation system comprises a solar cell array which converts sunlight to electrical energy. Solar panels include solar cells which are semiconductor materials that achieve the conversion of light energy into electrical current. Some solar power systems use parabolic trough, planar mirror array and parabolic reflector dish systems to collect and concentrate solar energy to generate electrical power. A solar power system has a power converter that converts incident light energy into power. The output power of the solar cell increases with the intensity of the incident light. The absorbed optical energy provides a source of thermal energy to operate a power conversion cycle or heat engine.