Mountain View, CA—September 21, 2009—Ausra, Inc., a leading provider of large-scale, concentrated solar thermal steam systems for electricity generation and industrial processes, has named Dr. Thomas Caulfield President and Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Caulfield’s in-depth OEM experience will strengthen and complement Ausra’s management team and accelerate the company’s transition from a power plant developer to a global solar steam systems provider.
"Tom’s skills and experience will strengthen and complement our power industry expertise. He brings to Ausra the technology, product development and manufacturing expertise to diversify our capabilities and to complete our evolution from a power plant developer to a concentrated solar steam systems provider. Tom is the right person, at the right time, to accelerate deployment of our technology, lower costs and support Ausra’s global business development pipeline," said Ausra’s Chairman and CEO Dr. Robert E. Fishman.
Dr. Caulfield was selected after an extensive, nationwide search of senior executives with strong technical and OEM backgrounds. He brings to Ausra more than 15 years of executive leadership experience in semiconductor technology and equipment – spanning production, manufacturing process, equipment engineering, and technology and product development.
"I’ve been following the cleantech sector for some time" said Dr. Caulfield. "Similar to the high tech boom, the concentrated solar thermal power industry is poised for explosive growth, which is why I’m here. Ausra has the right technology, the right management team and the right business strategy to succeed. My job is to help harness and enhance Ausra’s capabilities to best match customer demand – reliably and cost-effectively."
Prior to joining Ausra, Dr. Caulfield was Executive Vice President of Sales for Novellus Systems, Inc., a Fortune 1000 company and a leading supplier of semiconductor equipment. At Novellus he was responsible for all aspects of worldwide field enterprise operations. He previously served in executive management positions at IBM for more than 10 years. Dr. Caulfield also held a senior position at Phillips Laboratory. He has a Doctorate of Engineering, a Master’s of Science, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Science-Materials Science/Metallurgy from Columbia University, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from St. Lawrence University.
About Ausra’s Technology and Solar Steam Systems
Ausra’s Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) solar steam systems are designed for existing fossil-fired plants, new standalone solar and solar/fossil hybrid plants, and a diverse range of industrial customers. Ausra manufactured and built the first solar thermal power plant to deliver electricity to California’s power grid in nearly 20 years; it developed and installed the world’s first solar/coal-fired power augmentation facility for a major Australian utility; and it is the first solar steam boiler manufacturer to be awarded the prestigious American Society of Mechanical Engineers ‘S’ Stamp.
The company’s solar thermal energy systems are simple, durable, and scalable. As a solar steam boiler, Ausra’s installations produce steam directly from the sun using modular flat mirrors to focus the sun’s heat onto elevated centralized receivers, which consist of a system of tubes through which water flows. The concentrated sunlight boils the water in the tubes, generating high-pressure steam for use in power generation and industrial steam applications.
CLFR is the most land-efficient solar technology in operation, generating 1.5-to-3 times more power per acre of land than competing solar technologies. This high energy density translates into lower costs, a smaller environmental footprint and greater access to existing power plant and industrial sites. Additional information on Ausra’s CLFR technology is available at http://www.ausra.com/technology.
About Ausra, Inc.
Ausra is a leader in concentrated solar thermal energy design, development, and manufacturing and is committed to serving the global power generation and industrial steam needs of its customers in a dependable, market-competitive and environmentally responsible manner. Ausra is a privately held company, with headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. and operations in the United States and Australia. To learn more about Ausra and solar thermal energy, visit www.ausra.com.
