In the developing world, over a billion people go without electricity every day. Changing the situation by installing power grids would take an enormous amount of time and money.
In the developed world, energy runs freely into our homes and offices, but the effects of traditional power sources negatively impacts the environment and adds to the problem of climate change.
However, breakthrough technology that was originally developed for use outside both worlds, in outer space, in fact, could change everything.
An innovative solution using advanced fuel cell technology is being offered by a company named Bloom Energy, one of 26 businesses recognized as the 2010 Tech Pioneers by The World Economic Forum for making a positive impact on business and the way people live. Their solution? The Bloom Box.
Originally created as a response to a request by NASA to help make life on Mars sustainable, the Bloom Box could greatly benefit earth’s inhabitants by bringing much needed light and power to the poor, and helping to eliminate dependence on ‘the grid’ in richer nations.
By getting venture capitalists onboard with investments, the California based company now has a budget of millions of dollars to further develop this technology. By feeding oxygen into one side of a fuel cell and some form of fuel, such as hydrogen, into the other, a chemical reaction results in generating power. One or two small blocks can power an average home. Bloom Energy hopes to have reasonably-priced Bloom Boxes ready for residential use within five to ten years. Some businesses, such as Fed-Ex and Google, are already using refrigerator-sized Bloom Boxes as alternative power sources.
Co-founder and chief executive, K.R. Sridhar explains why he shifted his focus from outer space to Earth: “I quit doing my NASA work because I believe this particular technology can change the world.”
It could just be the energy-revolutionizing change the world is waiting for.
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