How do you get free power?

[jackg]

@ Vika NSFW Do you have the source for those Solar Mining pictures?

The issue I am intrigued to see an answer to is what do people do when the battery runs flat and the Sun's not out?

Do they just leave the setup to it's own devices, Sun comes out get's some charge and runs again? My concern is if the Miner takes more power than the panels can supply then the batteries will get no charge and the Miner will do a slow on  off cycle. Or do people include some sort of controller to allow the batteries to get half charged before mining starts again?


Rich

Can you not just copy the link from the picture. I tshoud be linked to an account other than the poster, or even a website that shows their source. Don't get other people to do what you can do for yourself (unless its cheaper!)

[notlist3d]

@ Vika NSFW Do you have the source for those Solar Mining pictures?

The issue I am intrigued to see an answer to is what do people do when the battery runs flat and the Sun's not out?

Do they just leave the setup to it's own devices, Sun comes out get's some charge and runs again? My concern is if the Miner takes more power than the panels can supply then the batteries will get no charge and the Miner will do a slow on  off cycle. Or do people include some sort of controller to allow the batteries to get half charged before mining starts again?


Rich

Can you not just copy the link from the picture. I tshoud be linked to an account other than the poster, or even a website that shows their source. Don't get other people to do what you can do for yourself (unless its cheaper!)

Each one appears to be from a different site looking at it when you quote it.  So I don't think it's from one source or one article.

If you don't have batteries you would cut down cost.  But then only get power during sun.  Also it is still high compared to cheap electricity batteries or no batteries.

[Vika NSFW]

But then only get power during sun.

You produce at day and sell to electric company.
When You consume at night, you bought from electric company.
No batteries need.

[jackg]

But then only get power during sun. 

You produce at day and sell to line.
When You consume at night, you bought from lime.
No batteries need.

You could technically use mains power at night! Under special contracts, they can reduce it to as low as 7p per unit (KW/h). Makes it much cheaper.

With Lime, are you referring to calcium oxide.

[Vika NSFW]

Under special contracts, they can reduce it to as low as

You need check there specifications about consume and see penalties.

[notlist3d]

But then only get power during sun.

You produce at day and sell to electric company.
When You consume at night, you bought from electric company.
No batteries need.

But you would need around double the panels correct?  So you save on battery but spend more on panels.

Have you done any math to see cost of this?  I still think it would be pretty high specifically if you are producing enough to sell to power company normally that is not a tiny amount.

[philipma1957]

But then only get power during sun.

You produce at day and sell to electric company.
When You consume at night, you bought from electric company.
No batteries need.

But you would need around double the panels correct?  So you save on battery but spend more on panels.

Have you done any math to see cost of this?  I still think it would be pretty high specifically if you are producing enough to sell to power company normally that is not a tiny amount.

panels last a real long time. As of today all batteries die too fast.

So mixed use with your power company is best in most USA states.

A panel working for 15-20 years

A battery working for 3-5 years.

So larger in house systems don't do battery they mix with power company.

[lama-hunter]

Hehe  Thats pretty cool Are thoose asic usb miners Workern ofer there or it is just for the visibility I thought you would not let them on the roof if its rainy in the night everything gonne break up :D haha
Really nice done Guys. I also had that kind of idea already this year. Its pretty amazing to see how other People doing the same i ve done and te4sted. Really cool
Go on and build something bhigger than f2pool

regards
lama-hunter

[lightfoot]

Solar is pretty lame. I probably generate 5kw a day on my system, which a 1kw farm can chew up in 5 hours. Helps a bit but you have to consider you could have sold that power back to the utility.

The way to go is micro-hydro. Really, find a stream on your property, install a 1,000 watt alternator/peltier turbine and you're in business 24*7*forever. Now for a real win, finding an abandoned dam and installing a turbine, miners (hey, all that water is FREE COOLING!) and a cell phone for internet and you're all set......

[VirosaGITS]

Solar is pretty lame. I probably generate 5kw a day on my system, which a 1kw farm can chew up in 5 hours. Helps a bit but you have to consider you could have sold that power back to the utility.

The way to go is micro-hydro. Really, find a stream on your property, install a 1,000 watt alternator/peltier turbine and you're in business 24*7*forever. Now for a real win, finding an abandoned dam and installing a turbine, miners (hey, all that water is FREE COOLING!) and a cell phone for internet and you're all set......

Yes, of course, let me find a stream in my backyard;

http://asmallgreenspace.com/home/wp-content/themes/locus/functions/img_resize/resize.php?src=http://asmallgreenspace.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Helene_a1.jpg&w=420&h=266&zc=1

*roll eyes*

But yeah it is actually much better than pretty much anything else on several factor and is why electricity is so cheap here.

[inget]

Power is never free. If you are getting free power. Somebody is paying for it.

Could be your landowner, your boss or some unknown person. Make sure you are not misusing (stealing power).

[Oscoda]

In this world is so impossible to have a free power.

Well if you are a CEO of a power company than you have free power xD

[VirosaGITS]

Power is never free. If you are getting free power. Somebody is paying for it.

Could be your landowner, your boss or some unknown person. Make sure you are not misusing (stealing power).

Wrong. There are several way to pay a flat or fix cost and then afterwards not pay more for how much you are consuming. If you don't pay more for mining, then you do not pay for the quantity you use for mining and it is thus free.

In this world is so impossible to have a free power.

Well if you are a CEO of a power company than you have free power xD

See my previous comment, its not because everything has its cost or requirement that you need to pay for your electricity rate consumption

[lightfoot]

You can also be more efficient, or use resources more efficiently. That energy that used to be wearing down rocks (a noble experience no doubt) or heating your attic in the summer (and thus your house) can be redirected into something that makes money like a bitcoin miner like a bitcoin exhaust fan system or a peltier turbine and a penstock pipe.

Back in the day my joke was to build a heating element for a 40 gallon water heater out of bitcoin hashing engines. 2,000 or so watts of power being used to heat the water in your house. Why not bitcoin ASICs, who cares if they are block erupters? (Technically the better answer is a solar domestic hot water system if you have electric heated hot water, but that is a digression).

Solar electricity is cool, but solar is only 17% efficient at light---power. SDHW is 50-70% efficient. So you have a certain amount of roof space put the hot water system on first, then the electric for bitcoin miners. Unless you have natural gas.

But on a less serious note, if you have an abandoned/beaver dam sitting around what's the harm in diverting .00001% of the water into a 4 inch pipe to a small turbine, 2,000 watt alternator, a bunch of miners, and a cheap-ass 4g plan? What else is the water going to do? :-)

[VirosaGITS]

You can also be more efficient, or use resources more efficiently. That energy that used to be wearing down rocks (a noble experience no doubt) or heating your attic in the summer (and thus your house) can be redirected into something that makes money like a bitcoin miner like a bitcoin exhaust fan system or a peltier turbine and a penstock pipe.

Back in the day my joke was to build a heating element for a 40 gallon water heater out of bitcoin hashing engines. 2,000 or so watts of power being used to heat the water in your house. Why not bitcoin ASICs, who cares if they are block erupters? (Technically the better answer is a solar domestic hot water system if you have electric heated hot water, but that is a digression).

Solar electricity is cool, but solar is only 17% efficient at light---power. SDHW is 50-70% efficient. So you have a certain amount of roof space put the hot water system on first, then the electric for bitcoin miners. Unless you have natural gas.

But on a less serious note, if you have an abandoned/beaver dam sitting around what's the harm in diverting .00001% of the water into a 4 inch pipe to a small turbine, 2,000 watt alternator, a bunch of miners, and a cheap-ass 4g plan? What else is the water going to do? :-)

You just need to return the water and just need elevation to move to water around for free. There is still hardware cost to be paid upfront and i assume the turbine has parts that has a lifetime, creating a maintenance cost, but it is probably very low.

Instead of a battery, could you use a capacitor to keep the power stable? Since its not like you'd be outputting your dam's power directly into the miner...

[notlist3d]

But then only get power during sun.

You produce at day and sell to electric company.
When You consume at night, you bought from electric company.
No batteries need.

But you would need around double the panels correct?  So you save on battery but spend more on panels.

Have you done any math to see cost of this?  I still think it would be pretty high specifically if you are producing enough to sell to power company normally that is not a tiny amount.

panels last a real long time. As of today all batteries die too fast.

So mixed use with your power company is best in most USA states.

A panel working for 15-20 years

A battery working for 3-5 years.

So larger in house systems don't do battery they mix with power company.

What is ROI time on whole system except batteries.  Seems like with panel's and wiring new box, etc.  Still a lot of costs.  Are we still talking 10+ years before ROI?  Just in most I have seen it's a pretty long term bet.

And it truly is really hard to beat low electricity price.  I think even without batteries the cheap electricity likely wins over time.

[crazyearner]

TO me theirs no free energy to begin with as you have your equipment cost to generate free energy. First you need money 2nd you need equipment 3rd you need storage for that energy, 4th to be pumped back into the grid and get paid for it, and even then energy company's buying energy off you is getting less and less. Then you will need to get the ROE Return on Equipment first before you get any ROI after equipment is paid off then indeed it is pure profit but to reach pure profit will take time as no doubt buying all the equipment is going to cost a fair amount of money out of own pocket first.

Even the solar powered usb kit is no doubt going to cost a chunk for the solar boards. Maybe a self sustained system proving you got sun all year round and the have some back up units for night time would be good but still maybe nano tech when that comes more into play and units are more power effective then stuff like this might be a thing of the future.

[RichBC]

The attraction for me of Solar, particularly if you have a system with no or a very small battery is that you can continue to mine with out of date hardware and make some money regardless of difficulty and halvings without worrying about electricity cost.


Rich

[notlist3d]

The attraction for me of Solar, particularly if you have a system with no or a very small battery is that you can continue to mine with out of date hardware and make some money regardless of difficulty and halvings without worrying about electricity cost.


Rich

The problem is everyone I have seen that has had math behind it with estimates it's very long term.  Were talking 10+ years with payment upfront.  We don't know what bitcoint will be like in 10 years... so hard to even speculate.

Cheap electricity no upfront cost.  So I think it's still going to win out.  And I wish I was wrong I would love to have some solar just so far have not been able to justify the cost.

[RichBC]

The attraction for me of Solar, particularly if you have a system with no or a very small battery is that you can continue to mine with out of date hardware and make some money regardless of difficulty and halvings without worrying about electricity cost.


Rich

The problem is everyone I have seen that has had math behind it with estimates it's very long term.  Were talking 10+ years with payment upfront.  We don't know what bitcoint will be like in 10 years... so hard to even speculate.

Cheap electricity no upfront cost.  So I think it's still going to win out.  And I wish I was wrong I would love to have some solar just so far have not been able to justify the cost.

Yes agreed and I am not talking about ROI just the ongoing prospect of a Solar Powered Miner such that I could mine at some level without further costs regardless of Miner efficiency and Difficulty.

I am still putting together parts for my experiment, have got 500W of panels for $150 and expect to complete the project for another $100. However Weather in the UK not ideal at the moment for putting the panels up so will probably not get up and running until the Spring.

Rich