A Comprehensive Review of Organic Rankine Cycle Based Solar Thermal Systems

This review paper provides an in-depth analysis of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems integrated with solar thermal technologies, drawing from foundational literature and recent advancements. It covers key aspects such as solar thermal power cycles, ORC configurations, working fluid selection, expander esigns, and system modeling. The discussion incorporates historical references from solar engineering principles and cycle thermodynamics, while integrating cutting-edge studies from 2023 to 2025 that emphasize efficiency improvements, hybrid systems, and sustainability. Emphasis is placed on small-scale applications suitable for low-to-medium temperature solar resources (350-450 K), highlighting opportunities for enhanced performance in renewable energy generation. The review identifies trends in optimization, exergo-economic evaluations, and multi-objective analyses, offering insights for future research in cost-effective solar ORC deployments.