http://bloomenergy.com/products/solid-oxide-fuel-cell-animation/

Nonetheless, let’s keep the solutions simple and to the point.

2008 National Electrical Code® (NEC® ) Article 692 Fuel Cell Systems – point of connection NEC® 692.65.
2008 NEC® Article 690 Solar Photovoltaic Systems – point of connection NEC® 690.64.
In, 2011 NEC® Article 694 Small Wind Electric Systems – point of connection NEC® 694.64.

Now the situation of Class II Group F? 2008 NEC® article 500 Hazardous (Classified) Locations, Classes I, II, and III, Divisions 1 and 2. Coal – NEC® 500.5 Classifications of Locations (B) Class II Group Classifications (2) Group F. “Atmospheres containing combustible carbonaceousdusts … that have been sensitized by other materials so that they present an explosion hazard. Coal, carbon black, charcoal, and coke dusts are examples of carbonaceous dusts”

Conversely the thinking of point of connection, at the point of use, to the point of coupling, (E0) to the line side (E1) for a specific area (E2), measured in w/m2 …… By the way (E3), Fuel Cells, Solar Photovoltaic Systems, and Small Wind Electric Systems may all be ground and pole mounted. Simply power = voltage * current, energy = power * time as emergy = empower * time in the temporal dimension (E4) to measure physical change in our thinking to utility interactivity along the tesseract.

In other words, cubes, rectangles with two wires +/-, or around rotation around a single point, our direction and magnitude of change to “renewable” energy, may be as simple as – 1, 2, 3 – the first, second, third, … derivatives of our position. Therefore, leadership, management, and direction in “renewable” energies, may not require an explanation, but an explication?

Quite insightful comments and calculations.

A 100kw commercial system costs about $5/watt of installed capacity (no incentives). In a year this system will generate about 1.5 kwh per watt of capacity. Panels are guaranteed for 25 years. So over 25 years the $500,000 system will generate 3,750,000 kwh, or $0.13/kwh. For now let’s assume zero maintenance and zero salvage value. Also assume an energy escalation rates about the same as the discount rate.

A 100kw Bloom Box costs $15/watt of installed capacity (no incentives). Let’s assume natural gas prices of $1/therm, 50% efficient operation (half electric output, half heat), and 29.3 kwh/therm. On an ongoing basis, the fuel cell produces electricity at $0.02/kwh (1*.5/29.3). Over the 10 year life of the fuel cells, assuming operation at 50% capacity and zero salvage value, the capital costs are $0.09/kwh (15/10*.5/365/24*1000). Let’s also arbitrarily assume (since we have no other data), that maintenance costs are $0.02/kwh over that 10 year period. Total costs are then $0.13/kwh.

Coincidentally, commercial solar costs and commercial fuel cell costs are about the same — assuming no incentives. There are two big differences, as Michael correctly points out. First, costs of fuel cells will decline — but so will costs of solar. It’s a crapshoot as to which costs will decline faster. Second, costs of fuel will definitely go up — the advantage is clearly towards solar.

Finally, based on my experience installing commercial and residential solar power systems, I expect that installation costs for small fuel cells (residential scale) will be much higher than expected because they may not always be integrated to the grid. Unlike solar power inverters that shut down when grid power is interrupted, fuel cell generators will probably need to be installed so they power local loads only. In other words, you will need to re-wire circuits so that the fuel cell cannot possibly backfeed the grid — it can only directly power appliances and lighting in the home as these appliances are used.

In any case, Bloom, according to the NY Times, does have a patent that can integrate solar, but they say it won’t be ready for… 10 years.

Solar could produce the fuel, but that would necessitate a whole bunch of additional equipment (especially if you are making hydrogen and oxygen from water — these are very volatile chemicals).

This issue made no sense in the original story and should have been edited out. Undoubtedly the editor knew little about it and/or weren’t digging very deep at all. Now its got you guys chasing rabbits.

The question I have is, where does the waste go? Sure, the by-product may be just water vapor, but without a verrrrry pure fuel source you are going to have gunk that needs to be filtered out (or spewed into the atmosphere). At minimum, each box would need to be fitted for the particular fuel. Change the fuel and you’ll have to revise the box at additional costs. No?

The real beauty of solar is that there is almost no maintenance and, as stated before, the fuel is FREE!

http://www.solarfeeds.com/greentech-media/11333-solar-vs-fuel-cells

I guess the answer is that, allegedly, the Bloom Box will intensify the energy production of the home solar system and thereby increase its output. Of course, by how much, is rather unclear, although based on the NYT blog piece you provide a link to above, it would appear to be somewhere between 25 and 50 percent.

I think I’m correct here. But I’m still trying to wrap my head around why I’d want a solar system + a Bloom Box. Why not just size the solar system bigger? (I guess if you have a small amount of solar-available roof, then maybe adding a Bloom Box might make sense)….
.-= Christof´s last blog ..Can’t afford a Nissan LEAF? Rent one with Hertz =-.

(http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/a-secretive-start-up-raises-the-curtain/#more-40553)

One byproduct of fuel cells is water, and Bloom has patented and proved a fuel-cell design that could also tap electricity generated by solar panels and wind farms to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen that could be used as fuel in the cell.

“That’s the killer app,” said Mr. Sridhar, who said such a product probably would introduced within a decade.

Mr. Brown wished his rival well.

“We hope they’re successful because that it brings more attention to fuel cells,” he said. “But if they’re not successful, it is not good for the industry because it looks like it’s just more hype about fuel cells.”

This article also notes that fuel cells on last 5 to 10 years, whereas solar has proven to last 25 years and longer.

Again, these two can work together…and probably will.

That’s my take away for consumers. Big commercial sites can do the same combo now instead of using CO2 emitting gas or other fuels.

“Bloom Energy announced today several industry-leading customers for its Bloom Energy Server(TM), a patented solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology that provides a cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable alternative to both today’s electric grid as well as traditional renewable energy sources.

This just reinforces the view that I got from the 60 minutes piece.

Here’s the link to the press release –
http://tinyurl.com/y8hrkzz
.-= Christof´s last blog ..Can’t afford a Nissan LEAF? Rent one with Hertz =-.