SUNNYVALE, Calif.—A patented solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology that provides continuous, on-site power generation from renewable or fossil fuel sources is generating a buzz throughout the energy industry after being unveiled in late February by Bloom Energy Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based company that says it’s “committed to changing the way people generate and consume energy.” On Wednesday, February 24, three days after CBS’s 60 Minutes aired a segment that effectively brought the company out of stealth mode, Bloom Energy introduced its Bloom Energy Server™—a technology that customers can deploy to efficiently create their own electricity on-site without a connection to the electric grid. Bloom Energy unveiled the technology at an event hosted at eBay’s headquarters, along with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, General Colin Powell, and several of its early customers. Companies already using the Bloom Energy Server are reported to include Bank of America, The Coca-Cola Company, eBay, Federal Express, Google, Staples, Cox Enterprises, and Walmart.
Bloom’s fuel cell technology, built using what the company calls “abundant and affordable materials,” is said to be fundamentally different from the legacy “hydrogen” fuel cells that many people are familiar with. Each Bloom Energy Server consists of thousands of Bloom’s fuel cells—flat, solid ceramic squares made from a common sand-like “powder.” Besides using lower-cost materials, the Energy Server is said to be distinct in three other key areas: its high efficiency in converting fuel to electricity; its ability to run on a wide range of renewable or traditional fuels; and its easy deployment and maintenance. Another key advantage of the technology is that it overcomes the intermittent nature of traditional renewable energy sources by providing renewable power 24 hours per day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year.
Regardless of whether it uses a renewable fuel or a fossil fuel to produce energy, the Bloom Energy Server is a distributed power-generation technology that reportedly provides “a cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable alternative” to today’s electric grid. It converts air and nearly any fuel source—ranging from natural gas to a wide range of biogases—into electricity via a clean electrochemical process, rather than dirty combustion. Even when running on a fossil fuel, the systems are “approximately 67% cleaner than a typical coal-fired power plant,” according to the company. When powered by a renewable fuel, they can be 100% cleaner, the company says.
“Bloom Energy is dedicated to making clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world,” said Dr. K.R. Sridhar, principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy, in a statement from the company. “We believe that we can have the same kind of impact on energy that the mobile phone had on communications. Just as cell phones circumvented landlines to proliferate telephony, Bloom Energy will enable the adoption of distributed power as a smarter, localized energy source. Our customers are the cornerstone of that vision and we are thrilled to be working with industry-leading companies to lower their energy costs, reduce their carbon footprint, improve their energy security, and showcase their commitment to a better future.”
Each Bloom Energy Server provides 100 kilowatts (kW) of power in roughly the footprint of a parking space. Each system reportedly generates enough power to meet the needs of approximately 100 average U.S. homes or a small office building. For more power, customers simply deploy multiple Energy Servers side by side. The modular architecture allows customers to start small and “pay as they grow,” the company says.
Bloom’s customers have deployed the solution to lower and/or fix their energy costs, while significantly cutting their carbon footprint and enhancing their energy security by reducing their dependence on the grid. According to the company, customers who purchase Bloom’s systems can expect a 3-5 year payback on their capital investment from the energy cost savings. Depending on whether they are using a fossil or renewable fuel, they can also achieve a 40-100% reduction in their carbon footprint as compared with the U.S. grid, the company says.
Since the first commercial customer installation in July 2008, Bloom’s Energy Servers are reported to have collectively produced more than 11 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity while reducing CO2 by an estimated 14 million pounds—the equivalent of powering approximately 1,000 American homes for a year and planting one million trees.
“Today we are witnessing something special,” said John Doerr, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Bloom Energy board member, in a statement announcing the technology. “This is a new kind of product announcement. It comes long after a product has shipped and it comes directly from marquis customers. For years, there have been promises of new energy solutions that are clean, distributed, affordable, and reliable; today we learn that Bloom, formerly in stealth, has actually delivered. Americans want clean, affordable, energy, 24/7—and all the jobs that go with it. Bloom’s boxes are a breakthrough, serving energy, serving demanding customers, and serving our country.”
Bloom Energy Server® is a registered trademark of Bloom Energy Corporation (www.BloomEnergy.com).
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