How To: Mining Cryptocurrency With Solar

We’re in the midst of a solar power revolution. Solar panels are cheaper than ever and more efficient than they’ve ever been. With solar energy becoming so abundant, it can be used to create sustainable income for investors who use solar panels to mine cryptocurrency.

This guide will show you how solar mining works, what hardware is needed, and answer some important questions about this new form of crypto-mining!

The solar industry has seen dramatic improvements in solar panel efficiency. In 1978 solar panels were only able to convert 22% of solar radiation into electricity. Now they can convert more than 40%! This improvement in efficiency has made solar energy a viable source for crypto-mining.

Why Mine Crypto Currency with Solar Power?

Most people want to mine cryptocurrency because it provides passive income, and if you have your own solar power system the process becomes even easier and a lot cheaper! Solar energy is free from the start, and solar panels provide a steady supply of solar energy whether you’re at home or on vacation.

Using solar power to mine cryptocurrency also has a low cost associated with it because solar panels are cheap compared to other forms of electricity generation to power the crypto mining rigs. 

While there can be some initial costs for solar panel installation, these costs will be paid off quickly. It’s important to consider solar panel installation costs because they can vary based on location, size of solar panels you’re using, and type of solar panels being used.

Can You Mine Crypto with Solar?

Mining cryptocurrency with solar is definitely possible. Although the process of mining crypto, like Bitcoin or Litecoin, does indeed require a lot of power. The trick to successfully mining crypto using solar panels is finding a way to use solar energy for mining crypto while also being able to store that power.

It’s no good if you have enough solar panels and the ability to generate solar energy, but then can’t effectively utilize it because you don’t have anywhere practical to store it once generated.

A solar generator can power your house and provide electricity to your devices and appliances, as well as charge batteries.

This is the key to using solar panels for mining cryptocurrency because it allows you to store the solar energy you generate during the day so that you can use it at night when most crypto mining is done.

What Does a Solar Cryptocurrency Rig Consist Of?

The main requirements are solar panels which provide energy that can be used for your crypto mining rig. A bitcoin miner typically consists of a computer running all the time. This mining rig requires a lot of power.

Besides solar panels, a crypto mining rig would need the following components:

• A motherboard and CPU (storage) unit with solar panels attached to it (power).
• Several GPUs or processors that can hash at an extremely fast rate – this is what does all the heavy work in cryptocurrency mining, and will require cooling.
• A power converter that can provide enough wattage for all of the hardware.
• A power regulator ensures that the bitcoin mining rig doesn’t draw too much electricity.
• An offline management system is extremely important in solar bitcoin mining because you will need to monitor your equipment 24/h and make sure it’s operating at optimal performance levels.
• A bitcoin mining software.
• Two network cards, one for the internet connection and another to communicate with other computers in the bitcoin mining rig.
• A bitcoin mining case that can protect all of the hardware from damage and water.
• Remember you need to cool down your bitcoin mining rig as well as the room you’re working in, so make sure you have good ventilation and air conditioning. Why not look into running your air conditioning with solar?

The cost for building a solar bitcoin mining rig is an expensive one but with time, you will see that your investment was worth it because bitcoin’s value has been increasing since its inception in 2008. The process to build this type of cryptocurrency rig is difficult and requires a lot of work.

The bitcoin mining process for solar is almost identical to the traditional method because it involves solving complex algorithms with your computer hardware in order to receive bitcoin rewards as payment, which you can then sell on an exchange platform for real cash.

How Many Solar Panels Does It Take to Mine Bitcoin?

The amount of solar panels needed to mine cryptocurrency is dependent on a variety of factors. The largest factor is the solar panel quality and size, followed by the sunshine available in your location, as well as what type of cryptocurrency mining rig (or rigs) you plan to use.

Solar Panel Quality and Size

The biggest determining factor in how many solar panels it takes to mine bitcoin is solar panel quality. When choosing solar panels, it’s important that you purchase high-quality solar modules to ensure the best performance in your solar system.

To determine if a solar module is high-quality or not always trust either UL listed certification labels on each individual piece of equipment (inverter, charge controller, and solar panels) or the solar module test report.

Always remember to be wary of solar panel prices, as a cheap solar panel is generally not a high-quality solar panel and will not perform very well in your solar system.

Sunshine Available in Your Location

The amount of sunshine available for solar generation directly affects how many solar panels you need for solar mining.

For example, a solar panel in Ohio is going to produce less electricity than the same solar panel installed in California where sunshine is more abundant. Therefore, you’ll need to purchase fewer solar panels if your location gets lots of sunshine throughout the year. However, even with good amounts of sunlight available, many other factors come into play.

Speak with solar professionals to determine how many solar panels you’ll need for your solar mining rig. They can help assess the best solution based on the information above as well as the location and power needs of your mining operation.

What Type of Cryptocurrency Mining Rig (or Rigs) Do You Plan to Use?

The amount of solar panels needed for solar mining is also dependent on the type and quantity of cryptocurrency rigs you’re using.

For example, if you have a rig with four GPUs that require constant power of 250 watts each for 24 hours every day, the total amount of wattage needed is 1000 watts per day or 30 kWh/day (1000w x 24h =24000watt-hours).

As solar panels are rated in peak wattage, solar professionals will need to size the solar array based on your peak usage times. The best way to determine this is by using a solar power monitoring system that records energy production and consumption data for you.

A Practical Solar System for Bitcoin Mining

A practical solar system for bitcoin mining is comprised of high-quality, UL-listed components including an efficient inverter with smart features. Remember to size your inverter appropriately for the number of solar panels in your system.

Solar panels are sized to match expected energy production based on the amount of sunshine available in your location and cryptocurrency rig wattage requirements.

A quality monitoring system records data about panel performance so you can monitor the system’s performance.

An off-grid system is used for cryptocurrency mining because it’s more productive and efficient than a grid-tied installation with battery backup.

Some people will install solar panels to mine bitcoin on their roofs but this requires an inspection by your local building department, which can be costly and time-consuming. You can always use portable solar panels for this purpose with no permitting required.

A solar system for mining cryptocurrency will be able to sustain over its lifespan of 25 years if it’s taken care of properly with inspections and maintenance every five years or so.

If the components are not maintained they could break down before their expected life span is up, requiring expensive repairs.

Monitoring Systems for Solar Cryptocurrency Mining

We highly recommend a quality monitoring system. This will record data about panel performance so you can monitor the system’s performance.

If a component fails, it will record an alert and notify you immediately of any problems that need to be addressed as soon as possible.

The monitoring system can also indicate if there are power generation issues with the solar panels or inverter so you have time to get it fixed before your cryptocurrency mining goes offline due to a problem that could lead to excessive wear and tear on components, possible damage, higher electricity costs, etc.

How Much Does Crypto Mining Cost in Electricity?

There are a few factors to consider when calculating how much electricity mining crypto will cost in your area.

The first factor is the price per kWh that you pay for energy from your local utility company. Then, there’s also the amount of power needed to run the miner and its efficiency which varies across different types of processors.

If you use solar panels to cover all of your electricity costs then you may want to calculate solar panel maintenance fees in order to determine an accurate overall cost to mine.

Is Solar Crypto Mining Profitable?

The answer to this question depends on the type of cryptocurrency you mine, how much it costs in terms of solar panels and equipment needed for your set-up, what kind of gains you expect from mining cryptos by combining two technologies (solar and crypto mining) and how much time you invest in this activity.

One thing that makes solar crypto mining a good option for some is the fact it can be done remotely, without having to spend huge amounts of money on building infrastructure around your set-up. In other words, if you live somewhere isolated from electricity, or far away from big cities, you can still mine cryptocurrency.

There are many people who have already made this kind of investment by using solar panels to power their mining rigs or ASICs for Bitcoin and other cryptos that require high hash rates in order to be mined profitably.

Final Thoughts

Mining cryptocurrency with solar power is a great way to generate passive income. Solar panels can be used as an effective and sustainable alternative energy source for mining cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin or Monero. 

If you think running a crypto mining rig is too much trouble why not just run your computer on solar power? It is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your electric bill!

These digital currencies are becoming more popular and valuable every day and it’s only right that we use renewable sources of power to mine them!