Bell Independent Power Corp. is a developer of Thermal Storage Technology for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). Bell has chosen the UA Tech Park as the site of a new state of the art 5-MW solar plant with a Thermal Storage System.

The role of the facility is to commercially demonstrate Bell Independent Power Corp.’s proprietary Thermal Storage System and show its ability to improve the efficiency of a facility by 50%, which drives down the cost of producing solar power.  This proprietary Thermal Storage System will be capable of storing the sun’s heat for several hours, allowing the CSP plant to generate power at cloudy times or after the sun sets.  It will also provide energy for full plant startup every morning, replacing the need for natural gas. The demonstration of Thermal Storage on this facility and its economic impact will lead to its use on large scale facilities.

The projected cost of the facility is $32 million and it will use 45 acres of parabolic solar mirrors to capture the solar energy.  The plant’s construction will employ 75 workers and 7 full time positions will be established for the operation of the facility. The CSP plant and storage system is expected to produce enough energy to power more than 1,500 typical Tucson homes while offsetting more than 16,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂).  

The facility will be an anchor tenant of the UA Tech Park’s newly designated Solar Zone.  The zone is dedicated to the creation of a competitive environment for companies in the sector to roll out current and create next generation new energy products, attract key suppliers and attract/grow talent in order to promote industry success and advancement.  Companies will work not only on their own business interests but also team with the Tech Park and key regional partners to influence the solar strategy of the region.