Tower Automotive to Supply Stirling Energy Systems SunCatcher Mirror Facets

SES

Stirling Energy Systems (SES) and Michigan‐based Tower Automotive have signed a long‐term supply agreement for production and assembly of the mirror facet component of the SunCatcher concentrating solar power (CSP) system for North American applications.

Tower Automotive’s proven experience in designing and manufacturing structural and exterior auto stampings matched well with the new optimized SunCatcher dish design unveiled earlier this summer. The company, historically known as a global supplier for automobile vehicle manufacturers, is diversifying its business by investing engineering expertise, capital and facilities for the production of the SunCatcher mirror facets.

Diversification into the solar industry is a strategic opportunity for the company, especially given the recent shifts in automobile production.

“By leveraging the capabilities and experience of Tower Automotive, a leading auto supplier, SES is establishing a high‐quality, low‐cost supply chain that is strategically aligned with the company’s goals of achieving rapid and scalable production of SunCatchers,” said Jeff Collins, Stirling Energy Systems vice president of global supply chain, and auto industry purchasing and strategic sourcing veteran. “Automotive suppliers are experienced and proven in high‐volume production, and we benefit from their design, engineering and manufacturing expertise while delivering an aggressive cost down roadmap.”

 “At our core, Tower is an integrated engineering/manufacturing/program‐management company,” said Mark Malcolm, Tower Automotive president and CEO. “We are excited and proud to have the opportunity to apply these skills to help SES deliver its highly efficient and utility‐scale solar technology. With the SunCatcher’s competitive advantages and the increasing global demand for renewable, clean energy, we are confident that the partnership with SES will provide Tower important business diversification and increased long‐term organic growth.”

Each SunCatcher dish includes 40 mirror facets, with each facet comprised of three major components ‐the rib support, metal substrate and mirrors. The mechanical support structure for each mirror facet is similar to an automobile hood, which has a ribbed support under the sheet metal with shaped sheet metal over the top. The rib support and the metal substrate are stamped to exacting tolerances then attached using a combination of innovative processes. The mirrors are then attached using a new assembly technique developed for this leading‐edge solar technology. When the 40 mirror facets are assembled to form the parabolic‐shaped SunCatcher dish, the mirror surface reflects the sun’s energy into the power conversion unit (PCU) at the end of the metal boom. The Stirling engine inside the PCU converts the sun’s intense heat to efficiently drive a 25 kW generator.

The unique SunCatcher technology was developed in the United States, and more than 90 percent of the SunCatcher components, including the mirror facet component supplied by Tower Automotive, will be manufactured in North America, putting Americans back to work. SES has established a unique business model that integrates strategic alliances with world‐class organizations with engineering and commercialization expertise. The company’s sourcing strategy utilizes manufacturing process experience and high volume expertise of key supplier partners to accelerate commercialization of the SunCatcher.

“Reducing cost rapidly and developing new design and technology is a strategic benefit of our long‐term supplier relationships,” said Steve Cowman, Stirling Energy Systems CEO. The SES Executive Team has years of experience across the systems engineering, semiconductor, renewable energy and automotive industries. In particular, long‐standing relationships within the automotive industry in Detroit have been of benefit with understanding the value analysis and value engineering the industryprovides to assist SES with implementing the new SunCatcher solar technology.

The first commercial‐scale solar plant utilizing the SunCatcher technology is currently under construction in Peoria, Arizona. The Maricopa Solar plant will be operated by SES sister company, Tessera Solar, and provide 1.5 MW of power to the grid with 60 SunCatcher units. Tessera Solar, the exclusive developer of utility‐scale projects using the SunCatcher power system, has contracts to build more than 1,500 MW of new power projects. These projects will deploy more than 60,000 SunCatcher units in California, Texas and Arizona.

The SunCatcher™ minimizes both cost and land use and has numerous environmental advantages:

•  Zero water use for power production and the lowest plant water use of any thermal electric generating technology.
•  Minimal grading and trenching requirements.
•  No excavation for foundations.
•  No greenhouse gas emissions with converting sunlight into electricity.

About Tower Automotive

Tower Automotive is one of the largest independent global suppliers of automotive metal structural components and assemblies. Tower Automotive serves virtually every major automotive vehicle manufacturer, providing a broad range of metal structures from stampings to complex body and frame assemblies. With corporate headquarters in Livonia, Michigan, U.S., our 8,000+ colleagues operate from 40 manufacturing and product development facilities in 13 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

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Posted by Tracey A. Smith on Sep 15 2009. Filed under Solar Thermal Industry News, U.S.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry