The thermal energy of the sun can be used for electricity generation. Solar thermal energy can be applied with fossil fuels or independently in order to reduce the cost of generated electricity and CO₂ emission. Several cycles are introduced to extract solar thermal energy to be used in power plants. Brayton cycles, Rankine‐Brayton cycles, and supercritical Brayton cycles are among the most conventional ones. Based on the reviewed researches, using solar energy in addition to fossil fuels results in lower carbon dioxide emission and lower levelized cost of the generated electricity. Moreover, thermodynamic and economic analyses of the cycles revealed that heat recovery leads to higher efficiency while increase capital cost. The efficiency of solar‐assisted gas turbines depend on various parameters including pressure ratio, turbine inlet temperature, heat absorber geometry and the performance of the components. The enhancement in the efficiency of the cycles by applying each method depends on the configuration, operating condition. For instance, results have shown that 10% increase in turbine efficiency can led to 6%‐12% improvement in the efficiency of a closed‐Brayton cycle.