Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate research

Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by fencepost on Saturday September 16, 2017 @07:08PM (#15267247)

This has always seemed to me like an obvious setup for anyone with enough solar capacity to routinely run a surplus - particularly in states where the local utilities have purchased legislative support for near-punituve connection charges or effectively zero rates for anyone interested in selling surplus power back into the grid.

Edit: Not an outdoor setup but a setup to use all electricity surplus to regular needs for mining instead.

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Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by mhh__ on Saturday September 16, 2017 @07:37PM (#15267357)

How does that compare to selling the excess power then putting the money into a (let's say) index fund? I have no data right now, so I don't have the answer.

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Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by fencepost on Saturday September 16, 2017 @09:21PM (#15267735)

I'm thinking specifically about states like Arizona, though I'm not sure of the current situation there being >1000 miles away. I know they had attempts to add a $100/month fee for connecting solar systems to the grid, plus assorted other licensing and regulatory requirements.

Mining equipment can also be older models no longer cost effective to mine with when you're paying for utility power.

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Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by fencepost on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @09:26AM (#15284356)

If anyone's still checking a thread a few days old, I was talking about things like Florida's requirement that even if you're capable of being fully independent you be connected to the grid: http://www.wftv.com/news/local/want-solar-panels-you-still-h...

A side effect of that is that if the grid is down, you're also required to shut down your solar system (which makes complete sense, it's a safety thing to not have power sources connected while there's work being done) except that you're apparently not allowed to disconnect.

Discussion on [1] notes that disconnectable systems can be quite a bit more expensive, but it sounds like that's not even a legal option - no connection, no occupancy.

[1] https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/18/1699490/-Solar-Po...

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Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by detaro on Saturday September 16, 2017 @08:04PM (#15267462)

Parent explicitly talks about situations in which you can't just sell your excess power.

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Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by Retric on Saturday September 16, 2017 @07:28PM (#15267322)

Seems inefficient as your mining equipment deprecates if not in use.

A more reasonable solution is to just sell that electricity than buy more reasonables. If you pull say a net 5% ROI you double energy produced every 15 years. With the added bonus of creating an income stream for retirement etc.

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Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by foota on Saturday September 16, 2017 @08:19PM (#15267518)

*depreciates

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Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by pygy_ on Sunday September 17, 2017 @06:16AM (#15268994)

For example, I've heard that in France, when the grid is at capacity you have to pay to inject the current from your home.

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Re:Wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate r... by lolikoisuru on Saturday September 16, 2017 @07:55PM (#15267429)

What a better idea than using renewable energy just to put it in waste and get rid of any benefits you might have gotten over using fossil fuels.

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