David Ehrlich of Cleantech Group noted recently that three companies aiming for utility scale solar projects pad their coffers, along with eight other deals spotted over the past week.

He lists Kennewick , Wash. 's Infinia, Phoenix-based Stirling Energy Systems, and eSolar, based in Pasadena , Calif. ,as all having grabbed funding over the past week for their sun-powered technologies.

Infinia and Stirling Energy are both developing Stirling engine-based solar thermal systems, with Infinia pulling in an additional $7 million for its Series B, and Stirling Energy grabbing $100 million for its first round.