Bloom Energy Hopes to Get Businesses off the Grid

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Bloom Energy Hopes to Get Businesses off the Grid

Friday, March 5th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed

Electricity for eight to nine cents per kilowatt hour

Bloom Energy has launched a new energy server with patented solid-oxide fuel-cell technology that can generate 100 kW, enough to power one small office building or 100 average U.S. homes. The Bloom Energy Server makes it possible to generate electricity locally, rather than purchasing it from a utility company.

The company says a server can generate electricity for eight to nine cents per kilowatt hour, and will cost anywhere from $700,000 to $800,000, not including fuel. Supporters of the new Bloom Energy hope that someday, the servers will provide reliable, clean, and affordable energy around the world. Places like FedEx, Cox Enterprises, eBay, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, and even Google are already using the new energy server.

Bloom Energy is not for everyone . . . yet

In a NewsFactor.com article, Bloom Energy CEO Dr KR Sridhar said the company is “dedicated to making clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world.” Right now, however, it would take much more than a payday loan – more, even, than the combined amount of the maximum number of payday loans allowed by law — to get your hands on a Bloom Energy Server. The thrilling launch of the energy server probably was not attended by the everyday normal folks who need a cash advance from time to time, but high-profile types like venture capitalist John Doerr and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger were present.

One hundred percent cleaner than traditional methods

According to the NewsFactor.com article, the Bloom Energy Server contains thousands of ceramic fuel cells that generate electricity using an electrochemical process rather than the traditional combustion method. The electrical generation process is 100 percent cleaner than traditional coal-fired electrical generation when the Bloom Energy Server cells are powered by biogas or some other renewable fuel source. The Bloom Energy Server is about 67 percent cleaner than traditional methods when powered with fossil fuels.

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