BLOOM BOX... BY BLOOM ENERGY

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Bloom Energy, an 8 year old company, introduces what is being called the Bloom Box. Bloom Energy has earned a good reputation for being mysterious. Bloom Energy has recently been raising a lot of money from its investors for a new and upcoming fuel cell device, called the Bloom Box, which is apparently a “power plant in a box.” Sounds interesting doesn’t it. Now I am thinking why in the world does the world need a power plant in a box, but obviously it does or Bloom Energy wouldn’t be raising money to make it!

The cost for Bloom Energy to make Bloom Box is between $700,000 to $800,000. The Bloom Box is a pile of ceramic disks which are covered in green and black inks. There are metal plates which keep the disks separated and then Methane and oxygen are fed to the plates. When the Bloom Box is heated to a temp of 1,000 degrees Celsius electricity is produced.

The Bloom Box is too expensive at this point for residential use, but large companies, like Google, eBay and Fed Ex are trying out the Bloom Box are really liking it. According to eBay, they have saved $100,000 on electricity with their 5 boxes, in the past 9 months. Bloom Energy estimates that the Bloom Box could be inexpensive enough to be used for residential use within the next 5 to 10 years.

The idea of a “power plant in a box” like the Bloom Box sounds just crazy to me, but I am sure the idea of electricity all over our homes sounded crazy in Benjamin Franklin’s day!

Source: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978061183&grpId=3659174697244817