Clean Energy: Bloom Energy delivers Better Electrons™
All electrons are not created equal. Only Bloom Energy delivers electrons that are clean and reliable at the same time… and just for you. That makes them better electrons.
Bloom Energy generates clean, reliable power onsite with minimal environmental impact, making the Bloom Energy Server one of the most sustainable solutions on the market today. When compared to alternative sources, Bloom delivers superior results, whether sustainability is measured in terms of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, avoided air pollutants, reduced water use, small physical footprint, quiet operation, recyclability, high efficiency — or all of the above.
Higher Efficiency
Bloom Energy Servers convert natural gas or renewable biogas into electricity using a direct electrochemical reaction rather than combustion. This highly efficient process is not bound by the same thermodynamic constraints1 for creating electricity, and thus enables exceptionally high conversion efficiency. Today, Bloom ships systems with an industry-leading 60+ percent electrical efficiency, based on the lower heating value (LHV) of the fuel — a figure that has increased markedly since our first commercial shipments in 2008. Looking forward, we see a clear pathway to deliver even higher efficiency.
By contrast, the average coal-fired power plant — with over a century of R&D behind it — converts only 33 percent of its energy input into electricity.2 Yet because no one wants a coal plant in their "backyard", this electricity must be transported over hundreds of miles of power lines, which lose a part of the produced power — anywhere from 7 - 10 percent in the developed world, and up to 50 percent3 in developing economies. Since Bloom Energy Servers typically generate power at the customer's site, energy is generated & provided directly where it is needed, thus avoiding these losses altogether.
As the world transitions to a renewable energy future, the most sustainable pathway is to consume our precious resources more efficiently. It's also smarter — fuel savings mean saving money.
Virtually no Smog Forming Particulates
Bloom Energy Servers convert fuel into delivered electricity at the highest level of efficiency amongst commercially available technologies. Greater efficiency means less fuel consumed to produce the same output of electricity and that lower fuel consumption corresponds to less CO2 emitted. Even when compared to the most advanced, centralized combined cycle gas turbine power plants, Bloom has higher delivered electricity efficiency and therefore a lower CO2 footprint.
The flexibility of the Bloom Energy Server allows customers to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions while continuing to power their operations reliably. When fueled with biogas, the Bloom Energy Server provides 100 percent carbon neutral power generation. When powered by natural gas, it releases a fraction of the CO2 produced by coal-fired plants or even modern combined cycle natural gas plants, when one accounts for line losses (as recommended by regulators) . As businesses prepare for a carbon-constrained future, the Bloom Energy Server offers an elegant and flexible solution to meet a customer's sustainability needs.
Low CO2 Emissions
Because Bloom uses solid oxide fuel cell technology that converts fuel into electricity via an electrochemical reaction rather than combustion, Bloom Energy Servers virtually eliminate smog forming particulates and harmful NOx and SOx emissions that are emitted by conventional power plants. These invisible emissions cause smog, asthma, and harm human health5. Bloom Servers also generate only a fraction of the carbon dioxide produced by a conventional modern power plant equipped with the best available control technology (BACT) — the US EPA's benchmark.
Land Savings
Large centralized power plants, whether they are gas fired, wind, solar or hydropower, require large land areas far from most population centers. The electricity they produce is diminished through transmission and distribution losses. The Bloom Energy Server, on the other hand, is a compact solution with units occupying only a slightly larger footprint than a parking space. They are located onsite — eliminating T&D losses — and are well-suited for urban environments.
Bloom Energy Servers also deliver extraordinary water savings. Bloom's technology uses no water beyond a 240-gallon injection at start up. By comparison, the average U.S. coal plant uses 1.07 million gallons per 200 kW annually; and combined cycle natural gas plants use 648,240 gallons per 200 kW annually. A supermarket powered by a 200 kW Bloom Energy Server saves more than 1 million gallons a year.
Additionally, the simple, modular, building-block architecture is easy to install and easy to buy. As your energy needs grow, Bloom can grow with you, all the while delivering clean, reliable electricity —the benefits of Better ElectronsTM.
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_efficiency#Carnot_efficiency
2 http://www.worldcoal.org/coal-the-environment/coal-use-the-environment/improving-efficiencies/; efficiency reported here as the lower heating value (LHV) of the fuel.
3 http://www.teriin.org/upfiles/pub/papers/ft33.pdf
4 http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/scopingplan/document/appendices_volume2.pdf
5 http://www.aqmd.gov/smog/historical/smog_and_health.htm
