You know the adage if it’s too good to be true, it probably is? Well, by tomorrow night one company may very well be on its way to proving that hypothesis wrong. Humor us as we explore the hype versus practicality of the latest technology purported to help save the planet.
Out of Silicon Valley comes Bloom Energy’s Bloom Box, which made its initial debut via Fortune.com and 60 Minutes over the weekend. This box, they say, would be like a power plant in your own backyard (except small, relatively inexpensive, and without any sound or smell).
Walmart, ebay, Google, Staples, and more have been testing the technology on a commercial scale. Plus, the Bloom Box press event tomorrow will include individuals such as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, not to mention John Doerr (the guy that put his backing behind Google, Amazon and other highly-successful ventures, and who has invested heavily in Bloom Energy).
The box uses fuel-cell technology (which, it’s worth mentioning, is not a new technology). Fuel cells work like a chemical battery, combining solutions to create a chemical reaction that delivers electricity. Traditionally (or as traditional as fuel cells get), materials like platinum and hydrogen were used to generate power from a fuel cell. However, these materials tend to be on the pricey side.
Bloom Energy applies fuel cell technology using less expensive materials – ceramic wafers, ink, and readily-available natural gas. So, what’s inside these mystery boxes? Each Bloom Box is made up of 64 of these wafers, which are painted on one side with green ink and one side with black. The wafers are stacked and compartmentalized by metal plates, and all is packaged in a tidy 6-inch square box. For more of an explanation on this technology click here.
We could direct you to Bloom Energy’s website for more details but the technology and essentially everything related to the Bloom Box has been kept highly secretive thus far. Bloom Energy debuts its Bloom Box tomorrow at a press event at the ebay offices in San Jose, so for now you can watch their nice video and hopefully explore more of their website soon.
We are anxious to hear what you think of this technology! Lots of new products come out with much fanfare, so what about the Bloom Box makes it different (or not)? Are you excited about the prospect?
Oh wow. I would love to know and see if this is all it promises and possibly more.
Posted by: Mike | February 24, 2010 at 01:29 PM