Just a couple of points re BloomEbay the online auction firm...

Just a couple of points re Bloom

Ebay the online auction firm installed five of the boxes which retail for $700,000 -$800,000 each nine months ago. The company said it has already saved the firm $100,000 in electrical costs through the project, so with my limited maths that is a pay back time of circa 27 years?

Bloom energy have boxed very clever or secretively with their PR (thought to days reveal might answer some questions) some on here bash up CFCL on their lack of PR, well just compare web sites of the two companies for one, and try and find any information on performance or efficacy of a Bloom box

A large amount of the money backing Bloom has come from some high profile venture capitalist ie John Doerr, perhaps the most respected American venture capitalist, is the lead investor in Bloom, as well as Vinod Khosla, another high profile American VC, now you talk about PR, these guys have fingers in many pies, it is a bit like a much larger version of Dragons den if you get that in Aus, these people put up money for a percentage of the rewards, but also bring in specialist help and contacts, all to Blooms credit.
In fact John Doerr, who has also invested in Google, Amazon and Netscape, has in the past said that going green may be the "biggest economic opportunity of the 21st Century".

Though Bloom did lose $85 million in 2008, according to the venture capitalists that have seen its business plan, roughly on par with other fuel-cell companies building energy boxes much like Bloom's. Well I for one can name one thats got that figure down to circa GBP12 million.

Now for clarity Haka
The company's (Bloom) CEO, KR Sridhar, recently showed off a refrigerator-sized "Bloom Box" and added that he hopes to see Bloom Boxes become a common fixture in back-yards and basements within 10 years at a cost of around $3,000 for each home.
Key word hoped, and within ten years, so for me, with the limited info at hand and a current RRP of circa $700,000 -$800,000 a $3k unit seems a long way off.
This said I can only see positives in this news for CFCL, I'm sorry to stereotype but for me America and Americans seldom see past their own shores, and because they put a man on the moon in the sixties, they are at the cutting front edge of all technology.
All this news and hype will certainly raise the profile and awareness of Sofc which can only be good, I have already seen posts on USA bb's from people wanting a Bloom box, now either they are very very rich, or have misread were the decimal points is or the number of zeros in $800k.
But soon the realization will set in that they are going to have to wait many a year to have a cost effective "refrigerator-sized"sized fuel cell generator in their back-yard..But what's this..enter stage left ..Paloma CFCL USA partner with the Bluegen in one years time!! Thanks for the free PR work Bloom