Lowering the electricity bill by mining cryptocurrency

[Hydrogen]

Wherever you are in the world, the chances are that a large portion of your utility bill is for heating. This was certainly the case for [Christian Haschek], who realized he can use a cryptocurrency mining rig to offset some of his heating costs.

[Christian]’s central ventilation and water heating is handled by a heat pump, which uses a lot of electricity, especially in the Austrian winter. When it draws in cool air, it first needs to heat it to the thermostat temperature before venting it to the house. Cryptocurrency mining rigs are also heavy electricity users, but they also produce a lot of heat, which can be used to preheat the air going to the heat pump. [Christian] had four older AMD R9 390 GPUs (equivalent to the Nvidia GeForce GTX 970) lying around, so he mounted them in a server case and piped the heat pump’s air intake through the case.

At the time he did the tests, earnings from mining were enough to cover half of his heating bill, even after paying for the mining rig’s electricity. That is not taking into account the electricity savings from the preheated air. He only shows the results of one evening, where it dropped his electricity usage from around 500Wh to below 250Wh. We would like to see the long-term results, and it would be an interesting challenge to build a model to calculate the true costs or savings, taking into account all the factors. For instance, it could be possible to save costs even if the mining rig itself is running at a slight loss.

Of course, this is not a new idea. A quick internet search yields several similar projects and even some commercial crypto mining space heaters. We do like the fact that [Christian] reused some hardware he already had and integrated it into his central heating rather than using it as a mobile unit.

https://hackaday.com/2021/03/01/lowering-the-electricity-bill-by-mining-cryptocurrency/

....



Here's an interesting angle to the bitcoin power consumption debate. Utilizing mining rigs to generate heat to offset winter warming costs.

To implement effectively requires DIY modification of ducting to mining rigs and may not be for everyone. On the surface it seems like something that could be effective to mitigate costs and electricity consumption of mining.

Cold regions like iceland and russia are investing heavily in data centers using their cold climates to cool servers naturally without additional cost. Perhaps there is an opportunity for smaller miners in cold regions to do something similar via leveraging useful heat produced by mining rigs?

[1715266363]

1715266363

[1715266363]

1715266363

[Nhazwrath]

Canadian here..  I already do this.  but its not so pretty as that.  its hard to really judge my savings atm due to adding more gpus over the course of the winter.  its also been mildish so far  in my first minus 28C day atm I use 3 types of heating as well due to unpredictable WTH events.  electric(hardly ever used but i have)  Wood furnace main source its cheapest and oil furnace secondary source expensive but large reserve hardly use it.   The gpus so far this winter seems that i have used about 1/3 less wood which translates to aprox 300 dollars in savings.   too early to tell honestly.

[TalkStar]

Here's an interesting angle to the bitcoin power consumption debate. Utilizing mining rigs to generate heat to offset winter warming costs.

To implement effectively requires DIY modification of ducting to mining rigs and may not be for everyone. On the surface it seems like something that could be effective to mitigate costs and electricity consumption of mining.

Cold regions like iceland and russia are investing heavily in data centers using their cold climates to cool servers naturally without additional cost. Perhaps there is an opportunity for smaller miners in cold regions to do something similar via leveraging useful heat produced by mining rigs?

It may be applicable for winter centered countries but not for all. Countries like Canada, Iceland or Russia can take the advantage of mining rigs temperature but its not gonna work for Asian region. As far as i know maintaining mining farms in this region is comparatively expensive and they spend a big amount of money after temperature control. Even electricity cost is also higher there and most mining farms try all cooling technology for their equipment safety.

[aoluain]

This makes total sense to utilise mining's by product - Heat.

Mining inside the arctic circle requires less energy for cooling and the heat
generated can offset the costs of heating other areas of a building.

I think that a lot of data centres favour a temperate climate to the cost
of heating and cooling isnt as great because the climate temperatures dont
swing greatly, adverage 30°C swings from -5° to +25°
Mining I recon would prefer constant cold climates.

[dothebeats]

If you have a large enough operation, perhaps you can do this. But oftentimes, mid to large-scale mining that produces much heat that can totally keep you comfortable during the winter are not really affixed to a residential or living space, and are mostly located on warehouses or data centers. The idea is great, but I think most miners prefer to separate their mining rigs from their homes since most residential spaces can only accommodate for a certain amount of electricity load. Then again, there are still those who are getting sweet deals from their energy provider that can do this that can take advantage of their miners during the harsh winter time.

[Khaos77]

Dude,

Heat Pumps or even those little heaters are more efficient at heating you home than the nonsense above.

Don't waste your time with crypto mining, it is a waste of your time and energy.

Only the rich actually make money off mining, the rest just waste their time.

[darkangel11]

Dude,

Heat Pumps or even those little heaters are more efficient at heating you home than the nonsense above.

Don't waste your time with crypto mining, it is a waste of your time and energy.

Only the rich actually make money off mining, the rest just waste their time.

You're judging without reading. That guy in the article has a heat pump!
He's using mining cards to preheat air that goes into the heat pump and make it draw less power.

[Lauren Smith]

Dude,

Heat Pumps or even those little heaters are more efficient at heating you home than the nonsense above.

Don't waste your time with crypto mining, it is a waste of your time and energy.

Only the rich actually make money off mining, the rest just waste their time.

You're judging without reading. That guy in the article has a heat pump!
He's using mining cards to preheat air that goes into the heat pump and make it draw less power.

"Only the rich actually make money off mining, the rest just waste their time."

Noone should even listen to him. Listen to how he speaks, he is making claims as if they are well thought out and tested thoroughly. I bet a pretty penny he has never mined in his life. You do not need to be super rich to mine you can mine with a single computer. If you buy a very expensive GPU you can easily make $5+ a day and still play games with the same pc. Now picture buying 6 of those on all the time? It's just very risky and scary that's all.

"Don't waste your time with crypto mining, it is a waste of your time and energy."

I like to waste my time and energy xD

"Heat Pumps or even those little heaters are more efficient at heating you home than the nonsense above."

Who taught you about heat? Did you learn this at school? Wattages creates heat. Anything with high wattage gets hot. Have you even tried being in a room with miners in it? I bet you havent. I have stood in a room with 8 GPU units in it and it was pretty warm. During the summer or hotter days its boiling and you need to run a few aircoolers. Even 1 GPU can warm the area around you.

[uneng]

Interesting idea, but keeping your ASICs heat won't damage them faster?
I thought mining operation should work at low temperatures to not let the equipment temperature increase too much. If you keep the temperature higher on purpose to heat the house and water it will have consequences on your equipment it seems.

[Khaos77]

Dude,

Heat Pumps or even those little heaters are more efficient at heating you home than the nonsense above.

Don't waste your time with crypto mining, it is a waste of your time and energy.

Only the rich actually make money off mining, the rest just waste their time.

You're judging without reading. That guy in the article has a heat pump!
He's using mining cards to preheat air that goes into the heat pump and make it draw less power.

"Only the rich actually make money off mining, the rest just waste their time."

Noone should even listen to him. Listen to how he speaks, he is making claims as if they are well thought out and tested thoroughly. I bet a pretty penny he has never mined in his life. You do not need to be super rich to mine you can mine with a single computer. If you buy a very expensive GPU you can easily make $5+ a day and still play games with the same pc. Now picture buying 6 of those on all the time? It's just very risky and scary that's all.

"Don't waste your time with crypto mining, it is a waste of your time and energy."

I like to waste my time and energy xD

"Heat Pumps or even those little heaters are more efficient at heating you home than the nonsense above."

Who taught you about heat? Did you learn this at school? Wattages creates heat. Anything with high wattage gets hot. Have you even tried being in a room with miners in it? I bet you havent. I have stood in a room with 8 GPU units in it and it was pretty warm. During the summer or hotter days its boiling and you need to run a few aircoolers. Even 1 GPU can warm the area around you.

OK, all people dumb enough to follow the above nonsense,
be sure and post how much time and energy and money you wasted following the stupid ideas.
But never say you were not warned.


FYI:
Get anyone home address , that claims you can make money PoW mining,
so when you don't , you can drive to their house and kick their lying ass. 

[tbct_mt2]

If you have a large enough operation, perhaps you can do this. But oftentimes, mid to large-scale mining that produces much heat that can totally keep you comfortable during the winter are not really affixed to a residential or living space, and are mostly located on warehouses or data centers.

Heat from mining rigs with temperatures around 60 Celsius degree or higher can be reused. To keep the house or facilities a little bit warm in the winter as the article raised on or to be reused to generate electricity. It is not new if you know that waste incinerators generate very high temperature that can be reused.

Though it is a great idea but is not realistic to apply in households. Operations of mining rigs contain many requirements, space, infrastructures, maintenance and safety for your house and family members. It might not be a matter if you run 1 or 2 rigs with 6 GPUs at home but for bigger amount, it can cause a pressure on your electricity chain.

The idea is great, but I think most miners prefer to separate their mining rigs from their homes since most residential spaces can only accommodate for a certain amount of electricity load.

More safety, more free space at home, and better maintenance support from farm operators.

[ranochigo]

How would preheating the air to a heat pump reduce the electricity bills? GPUs are not very efficient at energy output as they are primarily designed for other purposes and a significant amount of energy are not wasted as heat. I don't doubt the mining profits covering parts of his bills but I can't seem to wrap my head around that point.

Anyhow, yeah nothing new. I've seen a few members using it for solomining during winter and someone rigging a huge radiator for it.

[amishmanish]

How would preheating the air to a heat pump reduce the electricity bills?

The heat pump's heater has to work to heat incoming air up to the thermostat setting, say 25 deg before it automatically cuts off The incoming cold air can be near zero deg. If you preheat it using GPU heat, it will save the pump's heater some initial work from zero to say 6-7 deg celsius. This happens all the time in Thermal power plants where waste gases from furnace are redirected to a Air Preheater for raising temperature of air going into the furnace.

Anyhow, yeah nothing new. I've seen a few members using it for solomining during winter and someone rigging a huge radiator for it.

Yeah its not really new. Mild winter is easily handled in a 8ft x 8 ft room by a 4 GPU rig I run. I doubt its effectiveness in harsh winters but it does contribute in reducing the heating requirement.

To OP, This is not really a good example for off-setting Electricity consumption of Bitcoin Mining anyway. Most Bitcoin miners are huge farms and not really home-installed GPU rigs. Those are generally mining Ethereum. I doubt that the huge farms do anything with their heat output except vent it out using industrial fans and radiators.

Bitcoin's electricity expense is indeed an issue.

[Khaos77]

Dude,

Heat Pumps or even those little heaters are more efficient at heating you home than the nonsense above.

Don't waste your time with crypto mining, it is a waste of your time and energy.

Only the rich actually make money off mining, the rest just waste their time.

You're a fking moron.

No , You're a Fucking Moron.

But feel free, spend a boatload of fiat on a inefficient heating setup that will never mine a single coin,
be sure to post pics , and make false claims about how great PoW mining is for you.

We look forward to your pics , and the final result of that stupid idea smacking you and your wallet around.
Go ahead.  

FYI:
Anyone actually serious about lowering electricity bills.
Options 1:
Modern Heat pump :
https://www.uniqueheatingandcooling.com/blog/todays-heat-pumps-are-more-efficient-and-cost-effective-than-ever-before

even during a 32 degree- or technically freezing- day, pumps can produce enough heat to keep you very comfortable.
 Newer heat pump systems can take things a step further and pull warmth out of even sub-zero temperatures.
No supplemental heating is required.

Options 2:
Solar Hot Water Heater:
https://renewableenergysolar.net/solar-water-heaters-worth-investment/

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, solar water heaters reduce monthly utility bills by 50 percent to 80 percent on average.
With savings like that, solar water heaters pay for themselves very quickly — usually within 5 to 10 years.

Options 3:
LED Lighting
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/led-lighting

Residential LEDs -- especially ENERGY STAR rated products -- use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.

Options 4: If you have access to wood on your property
Wood Stoves

Options 5:
Upgrade your Home's Insulation

The EPA estimates that the average homeowner can save 15% on heating and cooling costs (11% of total energy costs) by adding insulation in attics, crawl spaces, and basement rim joists. For most folks, that’s about $200 in savings per year. In colder parts of the country, like climate zones six and seven, savings increases up to 20%.

[ranochigo]

The heat pump's heater has to work to heat incoming air up to the thermostat setting, say 25 deg before it automatically cuts off The incoming cold air can be near zero deg. If you preheat it using GPU heat, it will save the pump's heater some initial work from zero to say 6-7 deg celsius. This happens all the time in Thermal power plants where waste gases from furnace are redirected to a Air Preheater for raising temperature of air going into the furnace.

So I assume that somehow the GPU is more efficient than the heater at lower temperatures? If that is somehow the case, then it'll make more sense. The heater must be pretty bad given such a huge disparity can be offset by another supposedly less efficient device.

To OP, This is not really a good example for off-setting Electricity consumption of Bitcoin Mining anyway. Most Bitcoin miners are huge farms and not really home-installed GPU rigs. Those are generally mining Ethereum. I doubt that the huge farms do anything with their heat output except vent it out using industrial fans and radiators.

I'm 100% certain the miner isn't mining Bitcoin. I've seen quite a few of them mining using old Antminers though.

[semobo]

Its like double utilising the single energy source which is great idea but not much people out there to recognize this as saving, they consider this as expenses because they need to setup the rigs first and also need to make changes to utilise the heat produced from it.

[famososMuertos]

Heat dissipation is easy for any user with basic knowledge, but thermal management it is something else and requires not only good intentions but investment.

There is a premise that says that if you are a good salesman, you can sell refrigerators to the Eskimos. This old saying wants to apply "reengineering" on the issue of mining.

[Sithara007]

Despite technology advancing at such a fast pace, I am still not witnessing much progress in reducing the electricity consumption by the mining rigs. They still eat up a lot of electricity. For miners, in the long term electricity costs are more than their capital costs. Although electricity has become cheaper over the years, a lot of people take the electricity usage by Bitcoin mining rigs as an excuse to attack cryptocurrency.

[Lorence.xD]

It could work if I want to get a mining rig but I am living in a tropical country where there is only two seasons: Sunny Season and Rainy Season. Sunny Season is when the everyone is out in the beach and the electricity spike is high and fires are prevalent so I wouldn't take chances. Rainy Seasons will be the time when floods will be devastating houses or if not floods, the rig might be destroyed because roof leaks will be a problem too and strong winds can pick up roofs.

[panganib999]

It could work if I want to get a mining rig but I am living in a tropical country where there is only two seasons: Sunny Season and Rainy Season. Sunny Season is when the everyone is out in the beach and the electricity spike is high and fires are prevalent so I wouldn't take chances. Rainy Seasons will be the time when floods will be devastating houses or if not floods, the rig might be destroyed because roof leaks will be a problem too and strong winds can pick up roofs.

This was a good analysis of mining crypto yet I don't think that this would affect a more thing about our electricity. Mining bitcoind are required a lot of time and effort. We are living in a new century so most of the things are online or by using internets and electricity. I think mining bitcoin can't affect the electricity bill yet in the other hand, you can use cryptocurrency in order to pay for your electricity bills and as well as other bills in your households. Bitcoin is a big thing today, many people are mined it and starting also, I guess it is not too late to mine but you must put a lot of effort and time in order to earn good.