The solar-electric generating systems in my area are “photo-voltaic.” When photons from the sun strike certain materials, they give off electrons, which are then channeled to the electric grid.
There’s another way to generate electricity from sunshine: Concentrate the solar rays to heat a fluid that in turn boils water, resulting in steam that turns a turbine connected to a generator.
In essence, it’s a thermal generating plant, except that it uses sunshine for a heat source, rather than coal, natural gas, or decaying uranium.
And like any other thermal plant, these facilities need to be cooled. This leads to a quandary. The best places for these solar thermal plants are where the sky is clear and sunny, like the Mojave Desert, and that’s where water is scarcest.
Here’s a piece about this dilemma and its potential effects on the American Southwest. In short, such power plants might be new players in the old water wars.
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