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

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The Scottsdale company, which received a $100 million investmen last yearfrom Dublin-basec NTR plc, is moving quickly to capture a segmeng of the utility-scale solar market with its Stirlinhg engine technology. The company opened its new 37,000-square-foof office in early May. It has hired abour 100 employees this year and expectds to add 60 to 80 more by the end of the for a totalof 180, said CEO Stevs Cowman, who joined the firm last year as part of NTR’w investment. “We’ve always liked the solar space, and this was a good he said. The company is base d on a nearly 200-year-old engine design, which operates through the expansion and contractionbof gases.
Stirling uses a 40-foot mirrored dish to focusw the sun’s rays to heat hydrogen gas to 1,4000 degrees Fahrenheit. The gas expands, moving a pistonj and poweringthe engine. As the gas it is moved out of the piston chambee and back to where it will be reheated bythe sun. The compan had been operating in the Valleuysince 1996, but NTR’s investment has pushexd it to develop the technology more quickly. It has two power-purchasde agreements: one with San Diego Gas Electric for between 300 and 750 megawatts at a site inImperia Valley, Calif.
, and one with Southern California Edisom for 500 to 900 megawatts in the Mohave Cowman said it’s adding positions of all types, from engineering to to meet its growth curve. To handlee project management, NTR founded Tessera Sola r earlier this year to developthe utility-scale projects, with Stirling providing the equipment. Ramping up both project developmentf and construction has required capital and peoplr to serve what the company believes will be one of the largesft solar markets inthe world, said Jim CEO of NTR. “We believe the U.S. will be the globa leader in renewable energy, and that will happen in the next few he said.
NTR, founded 30 yearx ago to operate Ireland’se toll roads, has expanded into a number of renewable energty andrecycling efforts. Stirling’s technology — which offers an alternative tophotovoltaic systems, as well as a differen t take on concentrated solar powerd — has a good base in Arizons that can serve markets throughout the Southwest, Barry said. In additio to hiring, the company is looking at potentia l sites in the Valley to housesa 60-dish, 1.5-megawatt test location. The companty has a small site at the Sandiza National Laboratoriesin Albuquerque, N.M., but is hoping to find a largef site to provide a location to bring clients.
It has run into challenges securin local permits for a site and findintg a location that can be tied into theelectrivc grid, officials said. The company could be a boon for Arizon in more ways than simplyproviding power. It is using auto componenyt suppliers to build its engine and officials are talking with those suppliers abou t the possibility of locating facilities in the Southwes to handle the bulkof Stirling’s projects, at leastg for the first few Cowman said.
“If you can builfd your manufacturing close to yourend facilities, that’se going to benefit everyone,” he Stirling is one of the solar companiezs that could provide a base for other manufacturers to land in the said Barry Broome, presidenf and CEO of the Greater Phoeni x Economic Council. “This is a good example,” he “It’s got a small number of people and it hope sto expand, and it could help its suppliersd relocate here.” Stirling’s expansion in Arizona depends on state policies. Othefr states are offering manufacturing incentives, and Arizona’z effort to develop such enticements is miref inbudget problems.
“We really want to grow our business in Arizona, but we need those Cowman said.