Stirling Energy Systems expands its offices as solar efforts ramp up - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The Scottsdale company, which received a $100 milliom investment last yearfrom Dublin-based NTR plc, is movinhg quickly to capture a segment of the utility-scald solar market with its Stirling engine The company opened its new 37,000-square-foo t office in early May. It has hired abou 100 employees this year and expects to add 60 to 80 more by the end of the for a totalof 180, said CEO Steve who joined the firm last year as part of NTR’as investment. “We’ve always liked the solar and this was a good he said. The company is based on a nearlu 200-year-old engine design, which operates throughh the expansion and contractiojof gases.
Stirling uses a 40-foot mirrored dish to focus the sun’s rays to heat hydrogen gas to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit. The gas expands, moving a pisto and powering the engine. As the gas it is moved out of the piston chamber and back to wheres it will be reheated bythe sun. The companyg had been operating in the Valleyusince 1996, but NTR’s investment has pushed it to develo the technology more quickly. It has two power-purchasw agreements: one with San Diego Gas & Electric for between 300 and 750 megawattzs at a site inImperial Valley, Calif., and one with Southernm California Edison for 500 to 900 megawattds in the Mohave Desert.
Cowman said it’d adding positions of all from engineeringto construction, to meet its growth curve. To handl e project management, NTR founded Tessera Solar earlier this year to develolthe utility-scale projects, with Stirling providing the equipment. Rampinvg up both project development and construction has required capitao and people to serve what the companyh believes will be one of the largest solaf markets inthe world, said Jim Barry, CEO of NTR. “We believe the U.S.
will be the global leader in renewablwe energy, and that will happeh in the nextfew years,” he NTR, founded 30 years ago to operate Ireland’es toll roads, has expanded into a number of renewabler energy and recycling efforts. Stirling’s technology — which offerx an alternative tophotovoltaic systems, as well as a differengt take on concentrated solar power — has a good base in Arizonsa that can serve markets throughout the Barry said. In addition to hiring, the company is lookinvg at potential sites in the Valley to hous ea 60-dish, 1.5-megawatt test location.
The company has a small site at the Sandia National Laboratoriesin Albuquerque, but is hoping to find a largefr site to provide a location to bring It has run into challenges securinf local permits for a site and finding a locatiom that can be tied into the electricv grid, officials said. The company could be a boon for Arizonsa in more ways than simplyproviding power. It is using auto componeny suppliers to build itsenginre parts, and officials are talking with thoser suppliers about the possibility of locatinb facilities in the Southwest to handle the bulk of Stirling’sd projects, at least for the firs t few years, Cowman said.
“If you can build your manufacturint close to yourend that’s going to benefit everyone,” he said. Stirling is one of the solar companies that could provide a base for other manufacturers to land in the saidBarry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “This is a good example,” he “It’s got a small number of people and it hopesto expand, and it coulc help its suppliers relocate here.” Stirling’e expansion in Arizona depends on state Other states are offering manufacturing incentives, and Arizona’s effortg to develop such enticements is miredf in budget problems.
“We realluy want to grow our businessin Arizona, but we need thoss incentives,” Cowman said.