Method for generating mechanical energy from sunlight

A method for generating mechanical energy from sunlight, comprising:

• directing sunlight, with one or more parabolic reflective concentrators, onto an outer surface of a first cylinder of a Stirling engine expansion space containing a first piston and a first gas;
• heating the first gas by the solar energy, wherein heating the first gas causes the first gas to expand and drive the first piston towards a flywheel operatively connected to the first piston;
• rotating the flywheel by the first piston in a first direction, until the piston pushes the heated first gas through a first regenerator into a Stirling engine compression space comprising a second cylinder having a second piston, wherein the first regenerator removes heat from the first gas and causes the second piston to translate a crankshaft connected to the second piston towards the flywheel, wherein translating the crankshaft towards the flywheel translates a third piston connected to the crankshaft into a third cylinder of a Stirling cooler compression space to push a second gas through a second regenerator into a Stirling cooler expansion space and moves a fourth piston through a fourth cylinder of the Stirling cooler expansion space towards the flywheel, wherein moving the fourth piston towards the flywheel rotates the flywheel in the first direction.