•This paper reviews the thermal system configurations for solar applications.•The solar energy collection techniques as an input for TEG systems are discussed.•Utilization of rejected heat from TEG for secondary usage is discussed.•Storage and reuse of TEG rejected heat for night-time operations are discussed.•PV-TEG hybrid systems and solar desalination with TEG are discussed. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have become a notable topic for research in the last three decades. TEG is a promising element in the field of renewable energy in this age of ever-increasing energy demands. A TEG is a compact, quiet, highly reliable and environment friendly device with no moving parts. Although TEG finds its place in various applications, enhancing its efficiency is a focus in the field of thermoelectrics. Various solar thermal system configurations increase the efficiency of TEG for a given thermoelectric material. This review work predominantly focuses on these configurations for the solar applications of TEG as a vital tool in the field of solar energy. The paper thus, summarizes earlier literature works done to improve the efficiency of TEG through thermal system configurations, provides an outlook of present trends in the applications of TEG in a solar thermal system configuration with an outline of future research in TEG.