SUBSCRIBE TO TMCnet
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community

CHANNEL BY TOPICS


QUICK LINKS




AT&T Becomes Biggest Non-Utility Buyer of 'Bloom Boxes'
Green Technology Featured Articles
October 05, 2012

AT&T Becomes Biggest Non-Utility Buyer of 'Bloom Boxes'

By Cheryl Kaften
TMCnet Contributor

With the announcement earlier this week of a second wave of fuel cell installations at 28 facilities in California and Connecticut, Dallas-based AT&T (News - Alert) has become Bloom Energy’s largest non-utility customer.


The new Bloom Boxes will produce 9.6 megawatts (MW) of power—bringing the total amount of fuel-cell energy at AT&T’s U.S. facilities up to 17.1 MW, including the 7.5 MW that the telecommunications provider installed last year at 11 California sites. 


Image via Bloom Energy

Once fully operational, all of AT&T’s Bloom Box (News - Alert) installations are expected to produce more than 149 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually, enough to power more than 13,680 homes per year.

“AT&T continues to be on the forefront of energy management and understands the need to find innovative ways to power the next generation.” said KR Sridhar, CEO of Sunnyvale, California-based Bloom Energy. “The investment they are making now not only means they will have control on their own energy destiny, but will also help ensure a brighter and more energy rich future for all.”

Bloom Boxes contain stacked fuel cells that convert air and natural gas into electricity through a clean electrochemical process. Use of this power reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by about 50 percent, compared to the grid, and virtually eliminates all sulfur dioxide (Sox), nitrogen dioxide (Nox), and other harmful smog-forming particulate emissions.

“A key differentiator for fuel cells, compared to other forms of alternative power, is that fuel cell electricity production is virtually constant,” explained AT&T’s Senior Energy Director John Schinter. “They provide steady, recurring electricity production at a relatively predictable cost—replacing the traditional electricity bill, which can be volatile.”

Bloom Box installations fit into AT&T’s three-pronged approach to energy management:

 Alternative energy where cost-comparable,

Company-wide energy efficiency projects, and

Effective collaboration to develop best practices in energy management.

In addition to Bloom Energy fuel cells, AT&T has deployed nearly 3.9 MW of solar installations and works with external groups—such as the Environmental Defense Fund and Rocky Mountain Institute—to investigate highly scalable energy efficiency projects. These initiatives build on AT&T’s energy management work, through which the company completed 8,700 energy efficiency projects that led to an annualized savings of $86 million in 2010 and 2011

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Austin 2012, happening now in Austin, TX.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.

.




Edited by Brooke Neuman


Green Technology Related Articles






Technology Marketing Corporation

2 Trap Falls Road Suite 106, Shelton, CT 06484 USA
Ph: +1-203-852-6800, 800-243-6002

General comments: [email protected].
Comments about this site: [email protected].

STAY CURRENT YOUR WAY

© 2024 Technology Marketing Corporation. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy