# Bloom Boxes



## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

This seems like one of those too good to be true stories.

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/...finally-be-able-to-kiss-off-your-electric-co/


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2010)

I saw the story about those on 60 Minutes the other night and when I tried to google for more info I got a bunch of marijuana sites. :shrug:


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

They still depend on burning fossil fuels unless a person uses some kind of biogas.


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2010)

*What the heck is a Bloom Box and will it solve the worldâs energy problems?*

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-0...bloom-box-and-will-it-solve-the-worlds-energy


fishhead said:


> They still depend on burning fossil fuels unless a person uses some kind of biogas.


But it uses much less fuel to produce the same amount of electricity.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

That makes it a good "step" and maybe some day we'll figure out carbon sequestration or cheaper ways to make biogas to use in the boxes.


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## cowboy joe (Sep 14, 2003)

Read about this technology for the first time the other day. Sounds promising.


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## Deacon Mike (May 23, 2007)

Hype...


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## rightathome (Feb 10, 2009)

It's an interesting technology, but I think they are stretching it with all the florid praise. The CNN piece had the CEO from Ebay saying it was a "carbon neutral" way of creating energy - well, only if you don't count the mining, manufacturing and transport that it took to make the materials that went into the product!


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

rightathome said:


> It's an interesting technology, but I think they are stretching it with all the florid praise. The CNN piece had the CEO from Ebay saying it was a "carbon neutral" way of creating energy - well, only if you don't count the mining, manufacturing and transport that it took to make the materials that went into the product!


You can easily take that one step further. The only installations to date are either investors in the technology or they got the magority of it paid for by government grants/tax insentives.


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## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

Dunno if it is as carbon neutral as they said.


> CO2 @ specified efficiency	773 lbs/MW-hr on natural gas http://www.bloomenergy.com/products/data-sheet/


A natural gas power plant only emits about 1,300 lbs of CO2/MWh (if it uses half of the natural gas that makes sense)

My biggest question is how he is going to make it affordable. He's got a long way to go from the $700,000 price tag now to even the $20,000 of a 100kw natural gas Generac generator let alone the $2,000 or whatever pricetag he was "hoping" for.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

If you are operating a 100 KW generator and a 100 KW bloom box how long before the fuel savings would equal the purchase cost of the bloom box?


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## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

Windy in Kansas said:


> If you are operating a 100 KW generator and a 100 KW bloom box how long before the fuel savings would equal the purchase cost of the bloom box?


By my rough calculations using the average residential rates about 10 years. Although both units will need maintenance in that time period. With the bloomboxes 10 yr life expectancy, it just doesn't add up in my book unless he gets his costs down, which is very possible.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

I can't imagine a residence needing a 100 KW generator but if they do they can probably afford whatever it costs.


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## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

Windy in Kansas said:


> I can't imagine a residence needing a 100 KW generator but if they do they can probably afford whatever it costs.


lol, no those are the boxes you see them installing, 100kw bloomboxes. Thats the only size they have available right now. If you did need 100kw I would be changing some lightbulbs or something to cut my power use....lol


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## Blu3duk (Jun 2, 2002)

does Al Gore have one yet? one would imagine he of all people could use one since his electric bill approaches $15,000 per month if i aint had the wool pulled over me eyeballs.... maybe it was a year..... but either way one would think he would jump on the wagon and beat the drum to gather the people around if indeed there wa a true global warming due to high use of fossil fuels.... yada yada....... and not just people control they are after.

Yes radical as always.

William
Idaho


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

I would be thinking that mr al gorp is hideing out for awhile.

the 'global' got to warm for his self.........


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## artificer (Feb 26, 2007)

Aren't the mega generators running around 50% effieincy converting fuel to power? If so, then the Bloombox isn't that spectacular. As for carbon neutral... only if you use bio-gas, which very few people are producing. I wonder if the unit will even handle bio-gas without catalyst poisoning?

I would pay $2,000 for a unit that produced 4kw peak, ran on propane, and was 50% efficient. Unfortunately, it'll probably still be many years before its available, let alone reasonable in price.

I've played around with the idea of one of the high-temp liquid salt fuel cells. No expensive metals, and really big bragging rights if it worked. 

Michael


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## Ray (Dec 5, 2002)

I remember reading about Alice Chalmers tractors back in the 40's making a ele. tractor that was sold to Teledyne corp. who in turn was taken by NASA who then had the technology. It sounds like a little twisting of a very similar, same, device, now being allowed by the government??? Strange that the patent wasn't allowed to be pursued back then? I guess I'm just thinking out loud. and this is still another invention that requires fuel, something they sell. and control sell sell sell, best wishes ray


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Looks like a fancified fuel cell to me.

I remember ten years ago, fuel cells were about to be mass produced. Coleman was actually offering a small unit, in just a few months. The months passed to years, to a decade... still no commercially available fuel cell. When I can pick one up at Home Depot, Wallyworld, or ACE, I'll believe it. Till then, fuel cells, and bloom boxes, are pie in the sky. Nothing wrong with pie in the sky... but I prefer my pie on a plate.


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