- A manufacturing company that mines Bitcoin on the side has received a TV spot for its green credentials
- The German company uses excess solar energy and retains the heat generated by the ASIC miners
- The owner wants to expand his plan country-wide
A German company that mines Bitcoin on the side has been featured in a news segment on a national news programme as an example of environmentally-friendly Bitcoin mining. Christian Kläger’s company is best known in the Augsburg region for manufacturing spray cans, cosmetics and automotive parts, but it is his company’s sideline that is drawing attention, and he wants to take his plan national.
GERMANY 🇩🇪:#Bitcoin can stabilise the grid with renewable energy. ☘️🍃☘️
— Bitcoin Archive (@BTC_Archive) January 15, 2023
Mining With Excess Natural Energy
Kläger’s approach is a multifaceted one. The roof of his factory is covered in solar panels which are used to power the manufacturing facilities, with any excess power sent to the Bitcoin Energy Lab and used by the ASIC miners held within it. This means that the plant itself never has to battle with the miners for energy, and the machines themselves never take energy from the power grid.
When production is down, such as at weekends or during quiet periods, all the energy created by the panels goes towards Bitcoin mining. Kläger could sell this energy to the government, but the rate is much less than the reward he would get for mining bitcoin. The company also makes use of the heat generated by the machines – it is stored in the company’s boiler and used for heating purposes.
Kläger Wants to Go National
Kläger has bigger plans however, which he thinks could revolutionize the energy supply in the entire country. Too often, says Kläger, solar panel systems and wind turbines have to be shut down because there aren’t enough buyers for the electricity being generated, which can’t yet be stored in batteries. When this happens, the operators are compensated for their losses by the government, which amounts around €800 million ($866 million).
Were this excess energy to be used by Bitcoin mining farms, not only would the energy not go to waste, but those operating the system would earn money from the bitcoin they generate.
