The high solar energy density achieved in our simple and cheap Fresnel installation has been used for several surface modifications of metallic materials. This equipment is a very useful tool to apply concentrated solar energy in the field of high and very high temperatures (1500-2000 K). These temperatures are achieved in a few seconds and usually the materials treatments are completed in minutes. Fresnel lens installation is a serious alternative to the conventional equipment for material treatment and even to the large solar installations. In this work we review the surface modifications produced by concentration of solar energy with a Fresnel lens. (C) 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.