Bloombox Case

Bloombox

The “Bloom Box” is the creation of Bloom Energy Corporation, a Sunnyvale, California-based company that is promising to revolutionize energy with its “power plant in a box.” So what is Bloom Box? Created by CEO K.R. Sridhar, the “Bloom Box” is a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology, which turns gaseous hydrocarbons, to include gasoline, diesel, and other liquids such as propane, into energy to create cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable electricity with no emissions.

Fuel cells are the building blocks of the “Bloom Box”, which are made of beach sand and a secret-formula ink compound that are baked into diskette-sized ceramic squares, known as a power cell, which can generate about 25 watts, or in other words, one light bulb. The fuel cells are stacked into brick-sized towers sandwiched with metal alloy plates that are housed in a refrigerator-sized unit called the “Bloom Box”.

How does the “Bloom Box” work? Oxygen is drawn into one side of the unit, while fuel, fossil fuel, bio-fuel, or even solar power is fed into the other side of the unit. The two combine within the cell and produce a chemical reaction that creates energy with no burning, no combustion, and no power lines.

Each Bloom Box provides 100 kilowatts (kW) of power in roughly the footprint of a parking space. Each system generates enough power to meet the needs of approximately 100 average U.S. homes or a small office building. Customers who purchase Bloom’s systems can expect a 3-5 year payback on their capital investment from the energy cost savings and 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.

Built using abundant and affordable materials, Bloom’s fuel cell technology is fundamentally different from the legacy “hydrogen” fuel cells most people are familiar with and this system is approximately 67% cleaner than a typical coal-fired power plant. It is distinct in four primary ways: it uses lower cost materials, provides unmatched efficiency in converting fuel to electricity, has the ability to run on a wide range of renewable or traditional fuels, and is more easily deployed and maintained.

Some critics are quick to point out that the Bloom Box is just the latest fuel cell to get the public hyped. Fuel cells have been around for decades but have been unable to gain acceptable results (shown from stock performances). Since the Bloombox uses natural gases to generate electricity, can it really be considered safe for our environment? Is the Bloombox the best