- Surplus rooftop solar power is redirected into Bitcoin mining instead of being exported to the electricity grid.
- Heat produced by the mining equipment is recovered and reused for brewing operations, reducing overall energy costs.
- The brewery sees potential for the technology to be adopted anywhere large volumes of hot water are needed.
Excess solar energy is being transformed into both Bitcoin and beer at a Central Coast brewery, where cryptocurrency mining provides an extra income stream while supplying the heat needed for production. The initiative earns about $2,000 each month and helps reduce electricity costs.
Hawkesbury Brewing Co in Lisarow has installed 16 Bitcoin mining computers that operate only when rooftop solar panels generate more electricity than the brewery requires. By using surplus renewable energy, the mining equipment runs without additional operating costs and produces monthly earnings of around $2,000, which nearly offsets the site’s power bills.
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From Surplus Solar to Hot Water
Instead of allowing the heat produced by the computers to go to waste, the brewery captures it using miners immersed in a non-conductive liquid. As the liquid warms to about 90 degrees, a heat exchanger transfers that energy into the brewery’s water system, providing hot water for brewing and bottle washing.
The recycled heat supports production of approximately 100,000 litres of beer every month. The brewery pursued the system because sending surplus solar electricity back to the grid was not financially attractive, while battery storage was ruled out because of insurance concerns linked to storing electricity near alcohol.
While cryptocurrency mining is banned in some regions due to its high energy use, this operation relies entirely on solar power, resulting in no carbon footprint. The brewery also believes the same approach could be applied to facilities such as swimming pools, apartment buildings and manufacturing sites that require significant hot water.
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