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 milliohn investment last yearfrom Dublin-based NTR plc, is moving quickluy to capture a segment of the utility-scals solar market with its Stirling engine technology. The companhy opened its new 37,000-square-foot office in earlu May. It has hired about 100 employeess 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’ds investment.
“We’ve always likefd the solar space, and this was a good opportunity,” he The company is based on anearlty 200-year-old engine design, whicbh operates through the expansion and contraction of Stirling uses a 40-foot mirrored dish to focus the sun’w rays to heat hydrogen gas to 1,40o degrees Fahrenheit. The gas expands, moving a piston and poweringthe engine. As the gas it is moved out of the piston chambet and back to where it will be reheatedr bythe sun.
The company had been operatinbg in the Valleysince 1996, but NTR’ investment has pushed it to develop the technology more It has two power-purchase agreements: one with San Diegio Gas & Electric for between 300 and 750 megawatts at a site in Imperia l Valley, Calif., and one with Southern California Edisobn 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 handls project management, NTR founded Tessera Solar earlier this year to develothe utility-scale projects, with Stirlinyg providing the equipment.
Ramping up both project development and constructionn has required capital and people to serve what the company believes will be one of the largest sola r markets inthe world, said Jim Barry, CEO of NTR. “Wer believe the U.S. will be the globao leader in renewable energy, and that will happehn in the nextfew years,” he NTR, founded 30 years ago to operate Ireland’s toll has expanded into a number of renewable energyg and recycling efforts.
Stirling’s technology — whicu offers an alternative to photovoltaic systems, as well as a differentg take on concentrated solae power — has a good base in Arizonz that can serve markets throughout the Southwest, Barrg said. In addition to hiring, the companu is looking at potential sites in the Valleyh to housea 60-dish, 1.5-megawatt test location. The company has a smalo site at the Sandia National Laboratorieszin Albuquerque, N.M., but is hoping to find a largere site to provide a location to brinvg clients. It has run into challenges securinf local permits for a site and finding a location that can be tied into theelectricc grid, officials said.
The company could be a boon for Arizona in more ways than simplhyproviding power. It is using auto componeny suppliers to build itsengine parts, and officialx are talking with those suppliers about the possibility of locatinbg facilities in the Southwest to handle the bulk of Stirling’ds projects, at least for the first few Cowman said. “If you can build your manufacturing closwe to yourend facilities, that’s goint to benefit everyone,” he Stirling is one of the solar companies that coulx provide a base for othed manufacturers to land in the Valley, said Barry Broome, presiden and CEO of the Greater Phoeniz Economic Council. “This is a good he said.
“It’s got a small number of people and it hopexto expand, and it couldf help its suppliers relocate here.” Stirling’e expansion in Arizona depends on state Other states are offering manufacturing incentives, and Arizona’ws effort to develop such enticements is mired in budger problems. “We really want to grow our businessxin Arizona, but we need those incentives,” Cowman