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Quote:

Fuel cells have been a tantilizing[sic] technolgy[sic] for decades - powering space vehicles, but always a little out of reach for domestic or commercial use. I worked with Greenopolis Partner Plug Power for years - working to provide clean on site energy from hydrogen powered fuel cells. Now there’s the Bloom Box.

Source (Includes a video by 60 Minutes)

I find this idea very, very interesting. Not just the idea, but the enthusiasm by the creator.

 

[legoman786]

I wanna be one of the first to jump on this thing.

 

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Originally Posted by legoman786 I wanna be one of the first to jump on this thing.

They cost 700-800,000 right now. Good luck! BloomEnergy guy says he's hoping that once they catch on, home use versions will be around $3,000.

Right now, Google, Wal-Mart and Ebay are testing them out and they're more efficient than solar panels.

 

[legoman786]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFB They cost 700-800,000 right now. Good luck! BloomEnergy guy says he's hoping that once they catch on, home use versions will be around $3,000. Right now, Google, Wal-Mart and Ebay are testing them out and they're more efficient than solar panels.

I watched the video.

I meant, 'one of the first' in the context of mainstream usage. Not, preliminary testing, as Google and such are doing.

 

[TFB]

Gotcha

 

[ryboto]

How are you off the grid if you're still paying for natural gas to power the things? This is just a overhyped SOFC.

 

[aSilva]

off the electrical grid they mean

 

[PickledStiff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFB They cost 700-800,000 right now. Good luck! BloomEnergy guy says he's hoping that once they catch on, home use versions will be around $3,000. Right now, Google, Wal-Mart and Ebay are testing them out and they're more efficient than solar panels.

They are fueled by NatGas, so they can't really be compared to solar panels.
They also run at 1000 degrees, Installing one in every home is a good way to fight off the next ice age.

Not sure why people are getting excited about these things, to me they are fail technology.

You're replacing one 'grid' by expanding another, and still relying on fossil fuels.

 

[StormX2]

yah this isnt exactly taking anyone off the grid..

but for those who are ACTUALLY off the grid, what a fantastic thing =)

most Off Grid Communities use running water to power basic needs, this would be sweet.

 

[TFB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PickledStiff They are fueled by NatGas, so they can't really be compared to solar panels. They also run at 1000 degrees, Installing one in every home is a good way to fight off the next ice age. Not sure why people are getting excited about these things, to me they are fail technology. You're replacing one 'grid' by expanding another, and still relying on fossil fuels.

There will never be a day when we won't rely on fossil fuels. At least not in our lifetime.

What we need to do is learn to use fossil fuels (all fuels) responsibly, not eliminate them. I have nothing against people using fossil fuels. I have no problem with nuclear energy. I certainly don't have a problem using green energy.

The key to the future is to find out where each type of energy is the most beneficial and where they overlap.

 

[trueg50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFB There will never be a day when we won't rely on fossil fuels. At least not in our lifetime. What we need to do is learn to use fossil fuels (all fuels) responsibly, not eliminate them. I have nothing against people using fossil fuels. I have no problem with nuclear energy. I certainly don't have a problem using green energy. The key to the future is to find out where each type of energy is the most beneficial and where they overlap.

Very well put.

There is no one silver-bullet approach. Solar panels are expensive and only provide power in sunlight, Wind power is only effective in very very select areas, and nuclear has far too much red tape crippling it.

A device like this would allow a greater shift to natural gas, instead of a dependence purely on coal for power, or oil for heat.

 

[willis888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormX2 but for those who are ACTUALLY off the grid, what a fantastic thing =) most Off Grid Communities use running water to power basic needs, this would be sweet.

I've done quite a bit of research on powering an off the grid homestead, and apparently the key is diversity of power supply (along with efficient appliances, and reduced usage).

Running water is a lucky thing to have, and so is wind and sunlight. All three of them can be unreliable, so you'd still want a diesel, propane, or natural gas generator and a large bank of batteries.

You'd run the generator once per week when you do laundry, and charge the batteries at the same time to cover the still, overcast days when the river is low or frozen.

If the bloombox is a more efficient converter of chemical energy into electrical energy than a generator, yay bloombox.