This paper deals with the development and performance characteristics of a low-cost dish solar concentrator and its application in zeolite desorption. The dish solar concentrator consists of an old damaged satellite dish, purchased from a scrap yard, and a polymer mirror film used as reflecting surface. The proposed concentrator is connected to a sun-tracking system which is based on an electronic circuit that processes the input signals from a set of sensors and drives the dish actuator. The solar thermal energy application to adsorption technology (with the sorption pair water/zeolite) is simulated using the 'Ice-Quick' device manufactured by Zeo-Tech GmbH. Samples from two types of zeolites were initially brought to saturation condition and then mounted on the focal point of the dish solar concentrator in order to be regenerated. Experimental results are presented and useful conclusions are drawn. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.