Bloom builds microgrids for California field hospitals

Polluting diesel generators may be a working option in other emergencies, but not in the COVID-19 crisis, which is why California-based Bloom Energy Corp (NYSE:BE) has been selected to install fuel cell-based microgrids for two field hospitals in its home state.

The company said yesterday it deployed, in only three days, a microgrid to supply power for a field hospital in the parking lot of Vallejo’s main hospital. It also built, in less than two weeks, a 400-kW fuel cell-based microgrid to power a training facility at Sleep Train Arena, where another field hospital is being assembled to treat overflow COVID-19 patients.

Bloom explains that its microgrids are vibration-free and quiet, which is important when you have sensitive medical equipment on site. It also cited a study by researchers at Harvard, which shows that the mortality rate is “sharply higher” among patients with coronavirus in areas with high levels of air pollution.

The so-called Energy Servers by Bloom reduce pollution and particulate matter by over 99% when compared with existing combustion-based power sources, the company claims.

“We advanced our rapid deploy microgrid offering greatly after the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events last year to help customers affected by the wildfire related power outages in California,” said founder and CEO KR Sridhar. The company is now on the lookout for additional opportunities for rapid deployment of energy solutions to support COVID-19 response efforts.

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