The project will use the SunCatcher power system manufactured by Tessera Solar’s sister company, Stirling Energy Systems (SES). This is the first PPA to be signed by the company since NTR’s investment of US$100m in Tessera Solar and SES in March 2008.

The PPA with San Antonio’s CPS Energy is the first Texas project for Tessera Solar and will complement Tessera Solar’s 1,500 MW of California projects in Imperial Valley and the Mojave Desert.

The Western Ranch Solar project is expected to break ground in Summer 2010, assuming timely completion of regulatory approvals, with the first units expected to come online by the end of 2010. The 27 MW solar project, comprised of 1,080 SunCatcher dishes, will reportedly create 100 construction jobs and up to 20 permanent jobs.

About The SunCatcher

According to SES, the SunCatcher system uses precision mirrors attached to a parabolic dish to concentrate the sun’s energy onto a high-efficiency Stirling Engine. Each dish can generate up to 25,000 W of power and has reportedly been certified by Sandia National Laboratories as having the highest sun-to-grid energy conversion in the world.