eBay Fuel Cell-Powered Data Center Leads the Industry

By David Tobia
November 5, 2012

Tech giant eBay decided to generate its own power for its Utah data center rather than rely on power grids, reports GigaOM. EBay installed 6 megawatts worth of Bloom Energy solid oxide fuel cells on site in Utah, which marks the largest non-utility fuel cell system in America, according to GigaOM.
“Fuel cells are primary power for the computers and then the grid is used as backup. We have a higher available data center with this design than we would have with a traditional generator and UPS design. That was a big ah-ha moment for me,” said Dean Nelson, eBay’s Vice President who was behind the provisioning and consolidating of the data centers.
While fuel cells are more expensive than grid power in the short run, “the elimination of UPS and generators along with the simplification of the building design that included changing the height of the building as well as the structural support needed” could help eBay economically in the future, reports GigaOM.
While eBay paid the upfront costs for the fuel cells, Bloom Energy now offers an energy-as-a-service option to deal with the considerable capital costs.
EBay’s move could be the first of many companies taking control of their own power production. Generating power and using grid power as a backup gives companies more control over their operations, even if it is more expensive.

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