Bloom Energy unveils the Bloom Box

February 24, 2010, 4:51pm PST | Length: 00:04:30
KR Sridhar, CEO of Bloom Energy touts his new Bloom Box fuel cell at a press event in Sunnyvale, California. The technology is designed to be stacked into small blocks and housed in a unit about the size of a refrigerator.

Transcript

Bloom Energy unveils the Bloom Box

reel sounds

>> The core of our technology, everyone keeps asking, what's that magic sauce? What's that magic technology? Where does it go? Well I think I'm going to disappoint you all. I'm simply going to tell you the core of our technology simply is sand.

silence

>> Available in plenty, in multiple continents, in ocean beaches. This sand, from this sand you get this conium oxide, something that we use. Again, affordable, available in plenty. And it has the particular property, a scientific property, that allows us to make a fuel cell. Again folks, 1980's backing. phonetic We didn't have to invent this. Credit to inaudible. What she did with that though is we perfected the technology to create what I want to introduce to you, the Bloom Energy Fuel Cell.

applause

>> This flat piece of sand. Flat piece of sand, inexpensive material, but this is the core of the technology. While fuel cells have been around for a long time, things have been done, what is all this about? Why is this so different? We take this material and convert it into this starting with raw powders, with inexpensive manufacturing techniques, and we call that process Powder To Power. Powder to Power for flat pieces of sand. This particular device way back, John you remember? inaudible you remember? Five watts. That's a morris phonetic like coolant. I don't know what that is yet. We will tell you in a few years. Today it produces 25 watts, enough for a light bulb. Two years from now, stay tuned. Okay? So you take a bunch of these together and you put them together in what we call a stack.

silence

>> Think of this as the chip in your computer. If this were a microprocessor in your computer, this would power the average US home, 24-7, 365, all your energy needs; average US home. So you take a bunch of these stacks, put them together in a box about the size of a refrigerator, and that's enough to power a small Starbucks Coffee Shop. You take four of those 25 kilowatts together and put them in a box, affectionately called the Bloom Box now, about the size of a parking lot. We would you prefer you call it the Bloom Energy Server. About the size of a parking space, and that can power a small supermarket. You need more power? You do exactly what you do in a data center, you have multiple servers, and as your computing needs increases, you keep adding the servers, you just cluster them. You just cluster our boxes to add to the power that you need to meet your energy needs. Modular, pay as you grow, buy as you grow. It is with great pride on, on their behalf, the entire Bloom family's behalf; I would like to introduce to you the Bloom Energy Server.

==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====

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Talkback Most Recent of 8 Talkback(s)

  • so... is this real? does it work?
    Right away it looks like a hoax because there is no demonstration, no
    mention of how long they deliver power.. no details besides the wattage
    and how big they are.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Hobyx
    26th Feb 2010
  • You can see pictures and demonstrations elsewhere all over the web.
    Its nothing new, its just a refinement of old
    technology just like he said. It's been around for
    decades. Very real but price tagged at $200,000
    per 25kW unit if I remember right.

    They need to find a better spokes person though,
    he took too long to say way too little. If he
    didn't have that much to say he could have told a
    funny story or something about the development.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    shadfurman
    28th Feb 2010
  • RE: Bloom Energy unveils the Bloom Box
    I had an opportunity to work for this company supporting only the executives with their desktop support and communications needs. But I turned it down, however there is something stimulating about working for a company that is on the forefront of developing new technology (or re-inventing) technology. Best of Luck to Bloom Technology!!!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DBEADLE1@...
    1st Mar 2010
  • RE: Bloom Energy unveils the Bloom Box
    I like this but THEY SAY its not Ready 4 Home use! jus for business Use. I think. it has somthing 2 do with the power companies who want 2 find a way 2 control this from a RESIDENTAL point of view. if u read the Artical or web page. It says its working with the power companies 2 find away 2 implement this on a Home owners leval. Meaning The power company can still hav a part of the action.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    esof3@...
    2nd Mar 2010
  • RE: Bloom Energy unveils the Bloom Box
    Unfortunately Money talks. Power companies are in a world of hurt if each house were equipped with this. Price will be a deciding factor. I ws going to go solar until I saw tis and now want to go with ios as it is less destuctive to the house. ,If it weere to go on the market for individuals what would teh pprice be?? Woulld the price cchange the solar opewration . I would feel that their world is ina stat4e of turmoil right now to compare with the smaller installation unit.. ask this.. Can it be made available to the individual??? kope73@knology.netsince it will apparently be more emission free the world has to accept it...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    kope73@...
    2nd Mar 2010
  • This is being used by some very big money companies
    Google, Amazon, Ebay, Fed-ex and a few others are using the Bloom Energy Server. They said it works on 60 minutes. So although it's not ready for the consumer now, wait a little while and Moore's Law may make it practical for all. Every great breakthrough had many detractors and doubters and many more seeming breakthroughs broke down and died. The good new is that this one does work and someone eventually and relatively soon will get a practical consumer product out.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mark16_15@...
    2nd Mar 2010
  • BIG MONEY IS RIGHT!
    My thing is that SINCe the BIG Corporations have it how comw you cant make it vaulable for consumer use? If this thing can power a building it can & Shud power my house PLUS SOME! If im willing to dish out the Cash for this LET ME! Like i said, Its a wheel & deal thing too where you are gona have to pay a monthly ELECTRIC BILL no matter what!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    esof3@...
    4th Mar 2010
  • RE: Bloom Energy unveils the Bloom Box
    Poor guy, tries to take some cr*ap to a higher level... But noone would buy anything from someone like that.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    ante.radman@...
    8th Aug 2010

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