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

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The Scottsdale company, which received a $100 million investment last yearfrom Dublin-based NTR plc, is movinhg quickly to capture a segment of the utility-scale solar markett with its Stirling enginse technology. The company opened its new 37,000-square-foot office in earlyu May. It has hire about 100 employees this year and expecta to add 60 to 80 more by the end of the for a totalof 180, said CEO Steve Cowman, who joined the firm last year as part of NTR’ s investment. “We’ve always liked the solar space, and this was a good he said. The company is based on a nearly 200-year-ols engine design, which operatesz through the expansion and contractionof gases.
Stirling uses a 40-footg mirrored dish to focus the sun’sw rays to heat hydrogen gas to 1,400 degreesa Fahrenheit. The gas expands, moving a pistobn and poweringthe engine. As the gas cools, it is mover out of the pistonb chamber and back to where it will be reheated bythe sun. The companyg had been operating in the Valleuysince 1996, but NTR’s investment has pushed it to develo p the technology more quickly. It has two power-purchasr agreements: one with San Diegoi Gas & Electric for between 300 and 750 megawatts at a site inImperial Valley, Calif., and one with Southerm California Edison for 500 to 900 megawatts in the Mohaved Desert.
Cowman said it’ws adding positions of all types, from engineering to to meet itsgrowth curve. To handler project management, NTR founded Tessera Solard earlier this year to developthe utility-scal e projects, with Stirling providing the equipment. Rampintg up both project development and construction has requireds capital and people to serve what the compan y believes will be one of the largest solaer markets inthe world, said Jim CEO of NTR. “Wre believe the U.S. will be the globa l leader in renewable energy, and that will happe in the next few he said.
NTR, founded 30 yeares ago to operate Ireland’s toll roads, has expanded into a numbe r of renewable energy andrecycling Stirling’s technology — which offers an alternative to photovoltaic as well as a different take on concentratef solar power — has a good base in Arizona that can servs markets throughout the Southwest, Barry In addition to hiring, the company is looking at potentiak sites in the Valley to house a 60-dish, 1.5-megawatty test location. The company has a small site at the Sandiqa National Laboratoriesin Albuquerque, but is hoping to find a larger site to provide a locationh to bring clients.
It has run into challengea securing local permits for a site and findinvg a location that can be tied into theelectrif grid, officials said. The company could be a boon for Arizona in more ways than simplyproviding power. It is using auto component suppliers to builc itsengine parts, and officials are talking with those suppliers abouy the possibility of locating facilities in the Southwesf to handle the bulk of Stirling’s at least for the first few Cowman said. “If you can builx your manufacturing close to yourend facilities, that’xs going to benefit everyone,” he said.
Stirliny is one of the solar companies that couls provide a base for other manufacturersw to land in the saidBarry Broome, president and CEO of the Greatere Phoenix Economic Council. “This is a good he said. “It’s got a smalkl number of people and it hopeseto expand, and it could help its suppliers relocate Stirling’s expansion in Arizona depends on statew policies. Other states are offering manufacturing incentives, and Arizona’s efforgt to develop such enticements is mired inbudge problems. “We really want to grow our businesswin Arizona, but we need those incentives,” Cowmamn said.