Solar thermal technology is rapidly gaining acceptance as an energy saving measure in various applications. OEC has taken steps to develop approximately 2 MWe solar thermal power plant at Mehsana with beam down technology. In this technology, sun tracking mirrors called heliostats track the sun and focus incoming sun-rays onto a secondary hyperboloid reflector, which reflects the rays on to Compound Paraboloid Collector down to a receiver located at the ground.

Design and Development of a Single Cylinder Free Piston Stirling Engine for net 3 kWe electrical output using solar energy and also other renewable energy as Input is in process. For 8 hours, energy to the engine will be supplied with Scheffler reflector and for remaining part of the day with firing Biogas. Thus for 24x7, system runs on renewable energy with no requirement for heat Storage. This single system can power at least 20 rural homes. Low cost Scheffler solar concentrator for domestic indoor cooking and heating application for rural areas has also been developed. The estimated cost of cooking of food is approx. Rs. 1.2 per kg and payback period for this system is 7 years. Up-scaling for community cooking is the proposed way forward.