physics

Stirling Energy Systems

Stirling Energy Systems is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Stirling Energy Systems rather than just read about it. In short: Stirling Energy Systems was a Scottsdale, Arizona-based company which developed equipment for utility-scale renewable energy power plants and distributed electrical generating systems using parabolic dish and stirling engine technology, touted as the highest efficiency solar technology. In April 2008, Ireland-based NTR purchased a majority stake in Stirling Energy Systems for $100M.

Key takeaways

Stirling Energy Systems belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Stirling Energy Systems to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Stirling Energy Systems from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Stirling Energy Systems was a Scottsdale, Arizona-based company which developed equipment for utility-scale renewable energy power plants and distributed electrical generating systems using parabolic dish and stirling engine technology, touted as the highest efficiency solar technology. In April 2008, Ireland-based NTR purchased a majority stake in Stirling Energy Systems for $100M. As of 8/3/2011 NTR reported they were seeking 3rd party investment in Stirling Energy Systems. On 29 September 2011 Stirling Energy Systems filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, due to falling PV prices caused by subsidized Chinese Photo Voltaic. In April 2012 the Maricopa Solar plant in Phoenix, Arizona was bought by United Sun Systems (Now TEXEL Energy Storage) in a joint venture with a Chinese/American corporation.

Overview

According to their website, Stirling Energy Systems (SES) was a systems integration and project management company that is developing equipment for utility-scale renewable energy power plants and distributed electric generating systems ("gensets"). SES is teamed with Kockums Submarine Systems, NASA-Glenn Research Center, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and The Boeing Company for solar power plants. SES claimed it was positioned to become a premier worldwide renewable energy technology company to meet the global demand for renewable electric generating technologies through the commercialization of its stirling cycle engine technology for solar power generation applications.

Bankruptcy According to media reports, on 29 September 2011, Stirling Energy Systems filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy as the Stirling dish technology could not compete against the falling costs of solar photovoltaics. The falling photovoltaic prices were caused by Chinese subsidies. In April 2012 the Maricopa Solar plant in Phoenix, Arizona was bought by a European formation based in London called United Sun Systems. At the beginning of 2011 Stirling Energy's development arm, Tessera Solar, sold off its two large projects, the 709 MW Imperial Valley Solar Project and the 850 MW Calico Solar Energy Project to AES Solar and K.Road, respectively.

See also Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert

References

External links November 15, 2005 in Wired News -Stirling Systems signed contracts with Con Ed to build plants in the Mojave. May 2005 in Fortune Magazine – Stirling Energy Systems makes Fortune Magazine’s 25 BREAKOUT COMPANIES 2005. Feb 2005 in Popular Science Magazine – Dishing Out Real Power – Costs are down, interest is up, and the Stirling solar system is ready to flick the switch. Jan 2005 in US News – It has been said that solar energy is the future of energy and always will be. But growing concern about climate change and high oil prices is generating new interest in ways to more efficiently capture the power of the sun. Irish Times NTR posts record-breaking losses of €381m

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Stirling Energy Systems

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Stirling Energy Systems claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Stirling Energy Systems before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Stirling Energy Systems ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Stirling Energy Systems

In research: Stirling Energy Systems appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Stirling Energy Systems in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Stirling Energy Systems is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Companies based in Phoenix, Arizona, Defunct engineering companies of the United States, Renewable energy technology companies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Stirling Energy Systems outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Stirling Energy Systems” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Stirling Energy Systems in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Stirling Energy Systems means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Stirling Energy Systems out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stirling Energy Systems in simple terms?

Why does Stirling Energy Systems matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Stirling Energy Systems?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Stirling Energy Systems.