Bloom Energy’s new Energy Server is considered a game changer technology that uses abundant and affordable materials compared with hydrogen fuel cells which were previously considered central to fuel cell technology.
Bloom’s Energy Server provides 100 kilowatts (kW) of power and uses solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology that allows customers to generate their own energy on site.
The 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.
Bloom’s system uses an electrochemical process that converts air and almost any type of fuel source, including natural gas, biogases, and fossil fuels into electricity.
According to Bloom, even using fossil fuel as a fuel source for the Energy Server will produce 67% cleaner energy than a coal powered power plant. A renewable fuel like natural gas produces nearly 100% cleaner energy than a coal powered plant.
According to Bloom Energy what sets said their technology apart from other renewable energy technologies is that their Energy Server provides continuous 24/7 renewable power. Wind and solar are intermittent.
According to Bloom, each system can power a small office building. Larger buildings can use multiple units to generate more power.
“Bloom Energy is dedicated to making clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world,” said Dr. KR Sridhar, principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy.
Companies like eBay, FedEx, Google, Staples, and Walmart are already using the Bloom Energy Server to power some of their buildings. Ebay installed a 500kw Bloom system at its headquarters in San Jose, Calif. They used bio gas in as its fuel source and after six months, Bloom has delieved 2.2 million-kWh of power to the building through five boxes at Ebay.
LEARN MORE: HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Energy Server utilizes thin, white ceramic plates made from a sand-like material. One side is coated with an anode ink, and the other side with a cathode ink.
Fuel passes over the anode side, while air passes over the cathode side. The ceramic plates act as fast ion conductors as the air and fuel react in the fuel cell. This reaction produces electricity.