Stirling Energy Systems expands its offices as solar efforts ramp up - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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The Scottsdale company, which received a $100 million investmen last yearfrom Dublin-based NTR plc, is movingy quickly to capture a segment of the utility-scalw solar market with its Stirling engine technology. The companhy opened its new 37,000-square-foot office in early May. It has hireds about 100 employees this year and expects to add 60 to 80 more by the end of the for a totalof 180, said CEO Stevew Cowman, who joined the firm last year as part of NTR’s investment. “We’ve always liked the solar and this was a good he said. The company is basedr on a nearly 200-year-old engine design, which operateas through the expansion and contractionbof gases.
Stirling uses a 40-foot mirrored dish to focuz the sun’s rays to heat hydrogeb gas to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit. The gas moving a piston and powering the engine. As the gas it is moved out of the pistob chamber and back to where it will be reheated bythe sun. The compant had been operating in the Valleysincre 1996, but NTR’s investment has pushed it to develop the technology more It has two power-purchase agreements: one with San Diegp Gas & Electric for between 300 and 750 megawattws at a site in Imperiak Valley, Calif.
, and one with Southerj California Edison for 500 to 900 megawattsw in the Mohave Cowman said it’s adding positions of all from engineering to construction, to meet its growthn curve. To handle project NTR founded Tessera Solar earlier this year to develo pthe utility-scale projects, with Stirling providinb the equipment. Ramping up both project development and constructiomn has required capital and peopl e to serve what the company believeas will be one of the largest solar market s inthe world, said Jim Barry, CEO of NTR. “Ws believe the U.S. will be the global leader in renewable energy, and that will happen in the next few he said.
NTR, founded 30 years ago to operate Ireland’s toll has expanded into a number of renewabls energy andrecycling efforts. Stirling’s technology which offers an alternative tophotovoltaic systems, as well as a differentf take on concentrated solar power — has a good base in Arizon a that can serve markets throughout the Barry said. In additionm to hiring, the company is looking at potential sites in the Valley to housea 1.5-megawatt test location. The company has a smalo site at the Sandia National Laboratoriesin N.M., but is hoping to find a largerf site to provide a location to bring clients.
It has run into challengews securing local permits for a site and findintg a location that can be tied into theelectricx grid, officials said. The compang could be a boon for Arizona in more ways than simplygproviding power. It is usingy auto component suppliers to buildx itsengine parts, and official s are talking with those suppliers about the possibilithy of locating facilities in the Southwestr to handle the bulk of Stirling’s projects, at leastg for the first few years, Cowman “If you can builed your manufacturing close to your end facilities, that’zs going to benefit everyone,” he Stirling is one of the solar companies that could provide a base for other manufacturers to land in the said Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greaterd Phoenix Economic Council.
“This is a good he said. “It’s got a small number of people and it hopeasto expand, and it could help its suppliers relocat e here.” Stirling’s expansion in Arizona depends on state Other states are offering manufacturing incentives, and Arizona’zs effort to develop such enticements is mired in budget “We really want to grow our business in but we need those incentives,” Cowman