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130 sats \ 4 replies \ @0330830bf9 3 Nov 2023 \ parent \ on: What do you think the next major win for bitcoin will be? bitcoin
Did the math recently as I live in a cold climate...
An S9 iirc mines about 4-8 cents per kilowatt hour depending on assumptions.
Now, also assuming you could duct it well so that it delivered heat as quietly and efficiently to living space as possible, you have to compare your electric rates vs. the cost of other heating sources like oil/propane/natgas on a BTU basis.
What I found is that, on a BTU basis, electricity as a national average is a much more expensive heating source than fossils. So much so that the 4-8c per kwh gets you doesn't make up for it.
Plus, you're depreciating the miner. You could have just bought coin instead of the miner too.
As a heater, it rarely makes sense to run it 24x7, heat is typically thermostatically controlled.
Therefore, it's only rational if you have a usecase for a 24x7 heater in a place with abnormally cheap electricity rates and higher than normal fossil rates.
So basically, nowhere.
This makes sense if you can choose between oil/propane/natgas a the primary source of energy where you live. In my suburb, I have district heating as the default or electricity for a heat pump. I have the latter + e-radiators as "boosters" (+ fireplace) and a highly thermal insulated building with ventilation unit. Now it makes suddenly total sense to run a miner and have bitcoin as "waste product", believe it or not.
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how annoying is the sound though? every s9 I've heard is the most annoying sound i've ever heard
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You need to replace the 2 default 120mm fans with 140mm Noctua silent fans and operate the S9 at lower watts. I run the S9 with 750W @ 9.7 TH/s and it's not loud at all.
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district heating
TIL that's a thing
Now you're going to make me cost compare vs cordwood or pellets...
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