Quote:
EBay started using five Bloom Energy Servers in July. They produce electricity to power space for 2,000 to 3,000 employees and shaved $100,000 off eBay's power bill, says Amy Skoczlas Cole, director of eBay's Green Team. EBay uses natural gas in the boxes but will switch to methane gas from an Oklahoma landfill this spring.
But they're not cheap: The commercial-scale boxes, which look like a big refrigerator, cost $700,000 to $800,000.
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eBay spent $4 million in 5 Bloom Boxes. They are saving $100,000 a month in electricity.
So with no maintenance, that would be a 40-month payback.
Then there is the complicating factors:
How long do they last? Can they be refilled? Can their energy production be scaled up/down to meet demand?