Bloom Energy Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based
company committed to changing the way people generate and consume energy, announced
today the availability of the Bloom Energy Server, a patented solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
technology that provides a cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable alternative to both today’s
electric grid as well as traditional renewable energy sources. The Bloom Energy Server provides
distributed power generation, allowing customers to efficiently create their own electricity onsite.
The company introduced its groundbreaking technology at an event hosted today at eBay Inc.
headquarters along with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, General Colin Powell, and
several of its early customers.
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. The Bloom Energy
Server 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.
Unlike traditional renewable energy technologies, like solar and wind, which are intermittent,
Bloom’s technology can provide renewable power 24/7.
Each Bloom Energy Server 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. For more power, customers simply deploy multiple
Energy Servers side by side. The modular architecture allows customers to start small and “pay
as they grow”.
Powder to Power – How It Works
Founded in 2001, Bloom Energy can trace its roots to the NASA Mars space program. For NASA,
Sridhar and his team were charged with building technology to help sustain life on Mars using
solar energy and water to produce air to breath and fuel for transportation. They soon realized
that their technology could have an even greater impact here on Earth and began work on what
would become the Bloom Energy Server.
The Bloom Energy Server converts air and nearly any fuel source – ranging from natural gas to a
wide range of biogases – into electricity via a clean electrochemical process, rather than dirty
combustion. Even running on a fossil fuel, the systems are approximately 67% cleaner than a
typical coal-fired power plant. When powered by a renewable fuel, they can be 100% cleaner.
Each Energy Server consists of thousands of Bloom's fuel cells – flat, solid ceramic squares
made from a common sand-like "powder."
About Bloom Energy
Bloom Energy is a provider of breakthrough solid oxide fuel cell technology that generates clean,
highly-efficient power onsite from virtually any fuel source. Bloom Energy’s mission is to make
clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world. The Bloom Energy Server is currently
producing power for several Fortune 500 companies.
