Bitcoin Mining Rig in Netherlands Saves Money, Increases Efficiency and Helps Environment
A warehouse in the Netherlands replaced its natural gas heating system with a Bitcoin mining rig — saving money, increasing efficiency and helping the environment.
This is a great news for Bitcoin miners and the environment. A Dutch Bitcoiner has installed a Bitcoin (BTC) miner in a warehouse to replace the heating system powered by natural gas. This is a huge step forward in terms of sustainability and it is great to see that Bitcoin miners are taking their impact on the environment seriously.
The use of solar power is becoming increasingly popular due to the numerous benefits it offers. It is cheaper than traditional forms of energy, more environmentally friendly, and is a renewable resource.
Our latest installation heats a warehouse with electricity instead of natural gas. We’ve installed manual valves to guide airflow. The sound has been attenuated under 40db with a large damper. The people that work in the warehouse enjoy the warm temperature and low sound. pic.twitter.com/fcdEUlqiuN
— Bitcoin Brabant (@BitcoinBrabant) October 5, 2022
Bert de Groot is a true visionary when it comes to Bitcoin and its potential to change the way businesses operate. He has dedicated his company, Bitcoin Brabant, to helping businesses adopt the Bitcoin standard in order to improve efficiencies and save money. What's more, de Groot is always on the lookout for new and untapped energy sources for Bitcoin mining, making him a true champion of both the Bitcoin network and the environment.
Bitcoin mining can have a positive environmental impact, as it can help to reduce reliance on polluting natural gas. In one example, at a greenhouse this year, Bert installed Bitcoin miners to maintain the perfect temperature for flowers to bloom while reducing the greenhouse's reliance on natural gas. When Bert learned that a warehouse owner had 50-megawatt hours (MW/h) of electricity going spare, he saw an opportunity to use that electricity for Bitcoin mining, thus reducing the environmental impact of the warehouse's operations.
Bert told Cointelegraph that the warehouse (whose owner prefers anonymity) had a 50 MW surplus of electricity from a solar panel installation on the roof. That's "quite a lot," he joked. Bert's vision for the future is a world where solar energy is more widely used, and surplus electricity can be used to power cryptocurrency mining operations.
It is a shame that despite having a surplus of energy that could be sold to the grid, grid controllers in the Netherlands do not reward contributing spare capacity - even if it's solar energy. Bert continued: "The roof panels power warehouse operations but the company burns natural gas to warm the warehouse. Worse still, despite having a surplus of energy that could be sold to the grid, grid controllers in the Netherlands do not reward contributing spare capacity - even if it's solar energy. It is a shame that this wasted potential is not being used to its fullest extent.
“You put so much solar on the roof and you don't get anything back for the extra that you put back into the grid. So what we did is we put the (Bitcoin) miner in.”
As a Bitcoin miner, the Bitmain Antminer S19j Pro (104Th) consumes roughly 25 MW per year. However, it also generates income by solving valid blocks on the Bitcoin blockchain. The Bazooka, which is an aptly named housing that shoots out hot air to heat the whole warehouse, is where the Antminer S19j Pro lives.
The Bitcoin miner is a great way to use surplus renewable energy, generate heat and be environmentally friendly.
The current situation with natural gas prices in Europe is unsustainable and solar energy is the perfect solution. Solar energy is abundant, and once the initial investment is made, it is almost free. Additionally, solar energy reduces the carbon footprint of the warehouse, making it a truly sustainable solution.
“So we had [burned] a lot of natural gas as well as electricity which was already there — which was renewable. So we basically switched to a carbon negative warehouse with heating.”
It is estimated that switching from natural gas heating to Bitcoin mining will prevent the burning of 2,000 cubic meters of gas each year. This is equivalent to the annual gas usage of "one and a half households" of the average Dutch home.
The Bitcoin miner is a great way to heat up your home in the winter months, when temperatures can dip below freezing. The constant heat output from the miner will keep your home warm and toasty, without the need for an intermittent natural gas heater.
The Bazooka version 8 is a great solution for the warehouse, the environment and for Bitcoin. In a tweet, Bert shared, "The Bazooka version 8 is now in full swing. Thank you for all your support in being able to keep businesses warm while natural gas prices are so high." With this solution, the warehouse can keep running smoothly and efficiently, while also being more eco-friendly. Not to mention, the fact that Bitcoin can be used as a payment method is a huge plus.
Bert's phone may be ringing off the hook soon, as word of the Bitcoin miner heat revolution gets out. Bert explained that this is not quite the case yet, but that may change soon. With the potential to cut costs and improve efficiency, it's no wonder that warehouse owners are taking notice. Stay tuned to see how this story develops.
“In his network [of the warehouse owner] everyone thinks he's crazy. So let's see in a couple of months when it becomes winter, like proper winter what happens.”
Bert is optimistic about the future of Bitcoin miners being used as a heat source. He believes that as natural gas prices increase, it will become more worthwhile for businesses to use Bitcoin miners to heat their premises.
