Tesla Powerwall owners, you’ve seen your 13.5 kWh battery hit full charge by the early arvo, right? Then, watched your excess solar slipping away into the grid, earning peanuts. It feels like you’re chucking money into the air.
Before, you might’ve thought the only fix was to fork out over 12 grand to Elon for another Powerwall. But hang on, because a smart group of Aussie engineers and crypto buffs reckon they’ve cracked it. They’ve devised a way to make your Powerwall work like it’s got unlimited storage.
Seriously.
The PowerwallET (Energy Transaction) app transforms Tesla’s Powerwall into an arbitrage superhero, using its smarts to channel your surplus solar into something that can directly buy green energy from the grid after the sun sets. It’s a subscription service that taps into the Powerwall’s API, taking any spare energy your solar panels generate and putting it to work by turbocharging your desktop computer to mine Bitcoin.
“It’s genius in how simple it is,” says Declan Michaels, the brains behind the project. “Your computer turns into a mini gold mine, using nothing but the power of the sun. We generate Bitcoins from the extra rays that would’ve just gone to waste. The Bitcoin essentially stores that energy ready to later buy clean energy from the grid as needed via a direct interface to the government’s carbon neutral GreenPower scheme.”
They’ve been careful to ensure this scheme doesn’t fry your computer, though. A lot of elbow grease has gone into perfecting a system that knows just how hard it can push your CPU without turning it into a toaster.
“Keeping your precious computer cool while it mines Bitcoin is a big part of our secret sauce,” explains Michaels. “We spent ages testing and tweaking to make sure we wouldn’t cook anyone’s gear. We didn’t want people’s home PCs swelling like an un-recalled LG Resu”.
The early trials of PowerwallET have been promising. And because it’s leveraging existing tech and sunshine, there’s no need to dig up rare metals or give any more money to a mendacious billionaire conspiracy theorist.
“As long as Bitcoin’s worth something and the sun keeps shining, we can scale this up as big as you like,” Michaels adds with a grin.
“Finally a real-world use case for Bitcoin beyond just speculation and digital tulips. Plus, the more Bitcoin gets tied to actual energy flows, the harder it becomes for governments to ban or regulate it out of existence.”
Early-stage venture capital is already flowing into PowerwallET looking to commercialize the technology.
“We’re in the process of raising a $100 million Series A from some of the biggest crypto VC funds,” reveals Michaels.
“With that kind of financial backing, I expect to see the first full-scale Virtual Bitcoin Plant (VBP) online by the end of next year, with thousands of networked PowerwallETs making a meaning contribution to grid stability.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Bitcoin eventually surpasses oil and gas as the world’s primary energy currency,” claims Jennings. “We’re still just getting started, but using Bitcoin as an infinite battery will be absolutely game-changing.”
“Imagine telling your grandkids that back in your day, surplus solar was either sold to the grid for a few cents or curtailed, not to mine digital gold. They’ll probably look at you like it’s April Fool’s Day.”
About Finn Peacock
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April Fools Day, righto.
Had me going there for a minute.
I’ve also heard this same group is harnessing moonlight through their solar panels and mining crypto at night too!
Mining Bitcoin via one’s battery. But only your Powerwall. Yeah, right. Happy April Fools day to you too Finn.
Made my day – I’ll have to consider a second Powerwall. A good news story to start April.
I see what you did there 🙂
Cryptocurrency mining of all types needs to be banned in Australia and the rest of the world as it uses far too much electricity and if we want to save the planet then we need to reduce electricity use, not increase it.
Also, Cryptocurrency is used by Ransomware to extort companies, also
used by criminals as it is untraceable. The fastest way to get rid of ransomware is to ban Cryptocurrency in Australia.
Shame on you for publishing this irresponsible article and I challenge you to publish my comment.
Hi Timothy. Didn’t see your comment before posting mine. I could not agree more with your comment. It wasn’t until I looked at doing it, that I realised what a disgraceful waste of energy it is.
Waiting for comparisons to any other form of mining. Simple fact is energy is required to mine, extract and refine. Wasting energy to give value to a numerical code is absurd.
Hey Finn,
Why didn’t you publish my reply, calling you out on this April Fools article I posted earlier this morning? Didn’t you want me to spoil it for you?
Yes, crypto mining should be banned. Well said Timothy.
It’s a joke. Lighten up.
It’s April 1.
Shame on you for publishing this, obviously it’s April fools, but not everyone will figure that out and not everyone will be back to read your update. It’s dangerous information to send out into the wild.
I used to respect Solar Quotes, that changed today
It may be April Fools’ Day but the problem is it’s not clear which articles are serious and which aren’t. Add in timezone differences and things can be doubly confusing. Yes SQ is Australia-centric, but do all readers reside in Australia or at least GMT 8-10 +/- a bit?
It’s entirely plausible that the idea this article presents is being peddled by some given the … selective concerns of those worried about climate change, promoting ‘green energy’ etc.
Come on… lighten up. Everyone knows (or should be able to infer) that Solar Quotes is against crypto mining. Just enjoy that you were caught out by an April Fools ruse.
Well I wasn’t caught out given I called it out as April fools in my comment. It’s not about lightening up, I like a good joke as much as anyone.
No not everyone knows Solar Quotes position on crypto. These days this content can be easily fed into people’s feeds anywhere in the world, and in different time zones. So to assume everyone will figure out it’s fake is a dangerous assumption.
If even one person now has the misguided idea that it would be good to start mining bitcoin, the. I would argue the joke was both not worth it and irresponsible.
Has SQ ever expressed a position on crytpo mining? If they have I don’t recall it.
Your challenge was accepted. Did you check today’s date before responding?
As you note cryptocurrency mining is one of the heaviest power using ‘índustries’ that exists. Not mentioned in this article is that cryptocurrency ‘mining’ voids the warranty on things like graphics cards, and that high demand from such use causes market shortages and inflated prices for the scarce components.
Nvidia’s current Series 40 line presently ranges from $479 for an 8GB RTX 4060 to $3799 for a 24GB RTX 4090, and mining rigs can run more than 1 GPU. An Asus B250 motherboard can apparently run 19 GPUs, though ordinary motherboards are limited to 1-2. Serious miners would likely look more towards the 4090 series however, possibly the 4080, and from the previous generation, the 3090 or 3080 where they can still be found to purchase.
While those doing the mining benefit slightly – one 2022 article has a casual miner writing he earned a mere $2/day profit in 2013 – presumably serious miners can earn more these days, though much of it seems to be done in China because of cheaper power and living costs, does the environmental and social cost actually justify supporting such activity in Australia?
Hey Timothy,
Can I just gently push back on your comment:
1. Let people use their electricity the way they want. I’m sure if someone sent the “electricity police” to your home, I’m sure they will say something about you using too much for something they disagree with or in other words are you the arbiter of people’s electricity use and would you be happy if some people with badges knocked on your door to see if you are using electricity the wrong way? Not to mention this was really an article of using excess solar power (green power as some would say) which would take perhaps some load of the grid——maybe.
2. Gangs use cash for their evil deeds too, so if you use cash for anything how hypocritical of you and the fastest way to stop ransomware is don’t open any attachments or click on any links unknown to you and by using good common sense AND F.Y.I. bitcoin is traceable by following the blockchain (you may be thinking of or heard of crypto called monero coin which is harder to trace). Cash by and large would also be hard to trace and by the looks of your standards should we also be a cashless society and have a social credit score like China??
3. Be careful what you say “shame” is a very hard word especially when it’s just an article for discussion or are you wanting to be the arbiter of free speech too or freedom of the press so to speak!!!
If you think I am flawed in my response to you please enlighten me.
Thanks Timothy
Take care 😉👌
Haha – I prefer chucking a porterhouse on the Powerwall for proof of steak!
Hey, my calendar has stopped working because I fried my PC with this Bitcoin app. Someone please tell me what’s the date today?
I spy an April Fools Joke 🙂
April Fools Guys!
I didn’t buy it for a second..
April Fools?
Elon is going to make a new stick on solar panel roof for Tesla cars which will be retrofittable should be ready in exactly 12months.
It’ll be delivered as a software update.
Had considered Bitcoin mining instead of taking a FIT. The equipment and possible income didn’t add up on an individual basis.
I then realised what a disgusting, environmentally unsound idea it was anyway. What a huge waste of energy this could become.
Would love to see STCs needing to be paid back by anyone who subscribes to this plan. I would love to see the figures for energy wasted to produce or do nothing but solve a mathematical problem.
Taxing the Bitcoin income then spent on electricity would be a great move as well.
I guess if they put their computers in elderly people’s homes in winter, all the wast heat could help them with heating costs.
Hook, line and sinker!!
You just been fooled, mate
Not funny.
I am disappointed in SQ.
Saying “Seriously”. Well beneath you Finn.
Bad taste.
I called BS on this after 5 seconds.
Yes thearticle was published 1/4/24 but what about those people who read it next day or the day after? Not everyone keeps up to date with the (otherwise excellent and helpful) SQ blog on a daily basis.
Bad move.
Make amends and just delete the whole article and learn for next year.
You had me for a second until I remembered the date!
It’s disturbing how realistic this scenario is. There is almost certainly someone working on this idea for real life, despite how terrible it is.
Yes, in Alberta, oil companies are not allowed to freely flare the gas produced with the oil, they must pipe it to market or use it.
Believe it or not, they consider burning the gas in an engine attached to a generator to mine bitcoin as ‘use’.
“generate and putting it to work by turbocharging your desktop computer to mine Bitcoin.”
What the hell are you doing promoting cryptocurrency scams ???
Cryptocurrencies are over-hyped speculative gambling, a negative sum game, and vehicles for money laundering and trading illicit goods, trading in an unregulated, wild west ocean of fraud – and use to support / enable related scams – NFTs and web3.
Please STOP promoting such garbage.
Christ on a Bike. Its a joke. Lighten up.
This is hardly new, people have been doing this for a while now. What is new is trying to sell a gadget to do it. No-one that has water to lift, (or heat) should be selling back to the grid, Charging vehicles or spinning a flywheel is way preferable.
Beware that joining a crypto pool someone might be shaving a lot off the top for managing it. Prior art is a bastard for patents too, so being the first to do it is worth nothing if there are no barriers to entry.
Let’s see how this turns out for them.
Oh man, all the spots in this program are taken this year.
Must have been really popular
Maybe I’ll try again this day next year to see what else they have going on.
Umm, maybe we just keep the powder dry here and look at the date published, ie April Fools Day?
Take it with a BIG grain of salt
Well done Finn. Got’em good!
It got me, too. I was absolutely frothing and ready to tear Finn a new one.
I was definitely warming up my typing fingers to write an angry and outraged response about this scheme…
Started to cotton on at about the point where he mentioned people’s’ computers, swelling up like an LG battery 😄
Thank you SQ team!
I was about to have a go at you Finn for posting this bitcoin rubbish before I realised what the date was … phew … I’ve been directing customers to your site!
Nice one Finn!
Good one Finn!
Chill pill time for some readers it seems…..there are more important things to worry about.
Looking forward to May the 4th 🙂
It is an SQ tradition – some of the past efforts have been pretty good too.
But I don’t recall seeing quite the breadth of response that this one has provoked.
But the seriousness of some responses tempts me to observe that today, despite considerable overcast, I found uses for 38.3 kwh of off-grid generation, to whit 27 kwh into the EV, after an early trip to town and back, and most of the rest into the HWS and recharge of overnight battery consumption. Poking it into the EV seems more profitable than that bitcoin mining if upthread reports are accurate.
As I have neither electrolyser nor hydrogen storage, on the days when only using 5 kWh, I am metaphorically out the front with an extension cord, but nothing to plug it into. Unless it rains. Then it’s good to have ample battery.