Using Bitcoin USB miners to offset eletricity use by compute grids/servers

[prg99]

Hello folk,

I help maintain an number of compute grids/servers that are running all the time. We are considering installing USB miners (like Antminer U1s) into these machines to help offset some of the electricity they use. The increase from installing the U1 is small compared to the 200+watts that these machines consume anyway but there is the purchase price of the U1 to consider. Anyone worked out the economics of this?

Cheers,
Phil

[1714863053]

1714863053

[1714863053]

1714863053

[1714863053]

1714863053

[Rannasha]

Hello folk,

I help maintain an number of compute grids/servers that are running all the time. We are considering installing USB miners (like Antminer U1s) into these machines to help offset some of the electricity they use. The increase from installing the U1 is small compared to the 200+watts that these machines consume anyway but there is the purchase price of the U1 to consider. Anyone worked out the economics of this?

Cheers,
Phil

USB Miners will easily produce more income than they cost in electricity. However, they will not generate enough to recover the initial investment.

So it'd be a bad idea, economically.

[Rannasha]

So it would be a gamble on a long term price increase of bitcoin... just like normal I guess. 

If you want to gamble on a long term price increase of Bitcoin, you should buy Bitcoin. If you buy miners, you're doing the same gamble but with uniformly worse payouts than a simple buy-and-hold.

[Operatr]

The USBs are generally the worst as far as hash per dollar.