Found some more info on it from some other articles.
*A 100kw "Bloom box server" cost about $700,000-$800,000. With tax rebates, companies that have purchased them expect a pay-off in about 3-years.
*A home version is not expected for at least 10 more years, with speculation claiming a $3,000 price tag and a pay off of about 3-5 years.
*Experts are claiming this will have huge impacts on infrastructure as homes and businesses will be able to go "off-grid"
I have a few questions though:
The technology is no emissions because it derives its energy from a chemical reaction between oxygen and a fuel (most likely natural gas). Is water the by-product?
What about maintaining them? If every house has a box and is off-grid, what happens if it fails?
It's clearly a transitional technology, not the answer to all our energy goals. But such as it is, it represents a very promising, highly efficient way of generating electricity. Combine this co-generation with solar and wind, and you have a potent mix that could someday run a third of homes and businesses.
It makes you wonder why a large company like GE did not develop such a (seemingly) simple design. The revolution here is that they made a fuel cell with low-cost materials. Sign me up for one of these bad boys if the home version goes for $3,000.
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