Bloom Box: Is This The Future For Energy?

May 17, 2010

Factoid: Today we still burn coal for 45% of our electricity. It seems unbelievable, but it's true.

What’s even more exciting and promising about the 'Bloom Boxes' is that their fuel cells, or wafers, are made of naturally occurring minerals, and they're small, about the size and thickness of a floppy disc. These wafers are made from beach sand (otherwise known as silica, which is the most common mineral on the Earth's surface), and a special ink that is applied to each side of the wafer, after which they are baked. The final result is a ceramic wafer that, when energy is sent through one part and oxygen through another, gives you electricity. For fuel, the wafers can use green renewable energy or natural gas.

So think of your house having it’s own mini-power plant the size of a loaf of bread. Your personal power plant, at an estimated cost of $3,000, will provide all the electricity you need for at least 10 years [that’s the warranty today]. No power lines to your house, no meters to be read, and most importantly, no monthly electric bill. And no pollution if you’re using a renewable source of energy like solar or wind.

Technology properly organized and applied, from software to energy, is the best future investment for all organizations. See you next month!