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

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The Scottsdale company, whicn received a $100 million investment last yearfrom Dublin-based NTR plc, is movinh quickly to capture a segmenyt of the utility-scale solar markef with its Stirling engine technology. The company opened its new 37,000-square-foof 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 Stev e Cowman, who joined the firm last year as part of NTR’s “We’ve always liked the solar space, and this was a good he said. The company is based on a nearlhy 200-year-old engine design, which operates through the expansion and contractionof gases.
Stirlint uses a 40-foot mirrored dish to focuws the sun’s rays to heat hydrogen gas to 1,400o degrees Fahrenheit. The gas expands, moving a pistojn and poweringthe engine. As the gas it is moved out of the pistonn chamber and back to where it will be reheate bythe sun. The company had been operating in the Valleysince 1996, but NTR’xs investment has pushed it to develop the technology more It has two power-purchase one with San Diego Gas & Electrif for between 300 and 750 megawatts at a site in Imperiakl Valley, Calif., and one with Southerb California Edison for 500 to 900 megawatts in the Mohaver Desert.
Cowman said it’s adding positions of all from engineeringto construction, to meet its growth curve. To handlw project management, NTR founded Tessera Solar earlief this year to develo pthe utility-scale projects, with Stirlingy providing the equipment. Rampinb up both project development and construction has required capital and peoplde to serve what the company believes will be one of the larges t solar markets in the saidJim Barry, CEO of NTR. “We believe the U.S. will be the global leader in renewable energy, and that will happem in the next few he said.
NTR, foundee 30 years ago to operate Ireland’sa toll roads, has expanded into a number of renewable energyy andrecycling efforts. Stirling’s technology — which offerz an alternative to photovoltaic as well as a different take on concentrated solar power has a good base in Arizona that can servw markets throughoutthe Southwest, Barry said. In addition to hiring, the companyh is looking at potential sites in the Valley to housea 60-dish, 1.5-megawat t test location. The companyh has a small site at the Sandia Nationalo Laboratoriesin Albuquerque, N.M., but is hopiny to find a larger site to provide a location to brinb clients.
It has run into challenges securing local permitas for a site and finding a locatiom that can be tied into theelectrid grid, officials said. The company could be a boon for Arizonaq in more ways than simplyproviding power. It is usinh auto component suppliers to builde itsengine parts, and officials are talking with those suppliers about the possibility of locating facilities in the Southwesy to handle the bulk of Stirling’z projects, at least for the first few years, Cowman “If you can builcd your manufacturing close to your end facilities, that’s goinyg to benefit everyone,” he said.
Stirlingb is one of the solar companies that could providre a base for other manufacturersx to land inthe Valley, said Barr y Broome, president and CEO of the Greated Phoenix Economic Council. “This is a good he said. “It’s got a smalll number of people and it hopesto expand, and it could help its supplier s relocate here.” Stirling’s expansion in Arizonas depends on state policies. Otheer states are offering manufacturing incentives, and Arizona’s effortt to develop such enticements is mired inbudget problems. “Wse really want to grow our business in but we needthose incentives,” Cowman said.