Business Case for Bitcoin Mining in Western Australia

Bitcoin mining offers a pathway for individuals and businesses to generate cryptocurrency through computational work. In Western Australia (WA), the potential for mining Bitcoin is influenced by several factors, such as high electricity costs, solar feed-in tariffs, mining rig performance, and the ever-fluctuating value of Bitcoin. This post will delve into the business case of Bitcoin mining in WA using excess solar Photovoltaic (PV) generation, exploring the assumptions and key considerations required for a feasible mining operation.

Key Assumptions for Bitcoin Mining in Western Australia

When evaluating Bitcoin mining as a business proposition in WA, several core assumptions need to be made. These assumptions will form the foundation for understanding the viability of the venture:

• Electricity Costs
• Solar Feed-In Tariff
• Bitcoin Mining Reward
• Mining Rig or ASIC Hashrates
• Initial Cost of Mining Rig

Each of these elements plays a critical role in determining profitability and the sustainability of mining operations in the region.

Electricity Costs in Western Australia

One of the biggest expenses in Bitcoin mining is electricity. The more power-hungry a mining rig, the higher the operational costs. Electricity costs in WA can vary depending on the location, provider, and the type of energy consumed (e.g., grid electricity versus self-generated solar energy).

• Average electricity cost in WA: Approximately AUD 0.30 per kWh for residential rates.
• Commercial rates: Often slightly lower, depending on contracts with the energy provider. Commercial operations may see prices closer to AUD 0.20 per kWh.
• Off-peak rates: Some miners may take advantage of off-peak rates, which can reduce costs, potentially lowering them to around AUD 0.15 per kWh during off-peak hours (typically late at night).

Given the substantial electricity consumption of mining rigs, any fluctuation in these rates can heavily impact profitability. Miners may consider using renewable energy sources like solar to offset electricity costs.

Feed-In Tariff for Solar in Western Australia

Solar energy is a significant factor for miners in WA due to the region’s abundant sunshine. Miners with a solar installation may consider leveraging solar power to reduce reliance on grid electricity and potentially feed excess energy back into the grid for additional income.

• Feed-in tariffs in WA: Currently around AUD 0.07 to AUD 0.10 per kWh, depending on the retailer.
• Solar energy self-consumption: Miners generating solar power will benefit most by consuming their own generated electricity, which could lower their effective electricity costs significantly, depending on the size of the solar installation.

While feed-in tariffs alone won’t cover the costs of mining, solar can act as a buffer to the high grid electricity prices, making solar a key part of the business case.

Bitcoin Mining Reward

Mining Bitcoin involves solving complex mathematical problems to validate transactions on the blockchain, and in return, miners receive rewards in Bitcoin. The reward is not static; it changes over time due to factors like Bitcoin halving events, where the amount of Bitcoin miners receive is halved approximately every four years.

• Current Bitcoin reward: As of September 2024, miners receive 6.25 BTC per block mined.
• Bitcoin halving: The next halving is expected in 2024, where the reward will decrease to 3.125 BTC.
• Transaction fees: In addition to the block reward, miners also earn fees from transactions. Transaction fees typically range from 0.1 to 1 BTC per block, though this fluctuates with network demand.

It’s important to keep in mind that as the block reward decreases, the importance of transaction fees rises. Thus, the profitability of mining can fluctuate significantly based on these factors.

Mining Rig or ASIC Hashrates

The performance of a Bitcoin mining rig is measured in hashrate, which refers to the number of calculations a machine can perform per second. The higher the hashrate, the more chances a miner has to solve the cryptographic puzzle and earn Bitcoin. Rigs can vary widely in terms of their efficiency and power consumption.

• Popular mining rigs: ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) machines are the industry standard for Bitcoin mining.
• Average ASIC hashrates:
  • Antminer S19 Pro: ~110 TH/s (Terahashes per second)
  • Whatsminer M30S: ~86 TH/s
• Power consumption: On average, these rigs consume between 3,000 and 3,500 watts.

Given these figures, mining operations in WA would need to ensure that their rigs can deliver the right combination of high hashrate and low power consumption to maintain profitability.

Cost of Mining Rig or ASIC

The cost of Bitcoin mining hardware is another crucial factor in evaluating a business case for Bitcoin mining. The initial investment can be substantial, particularly when purchasing high-end ASIC machines, which offer better efficiency and higher hashrates but come at a premium price.

• Antminer S19 Pro: Approximately AUD 8,000 to AUD 12,000 per unit, depending on availability and market demand.
• Whatsminer M30S: AUD 6,000 to AUD 10,000 per unit.

It’s important to note that these rigs have a limited lifespan, typically lasting around 2 to 3 years before becoming outdated or inefficient compared to newer models. As technology evolves, miners will need to reinvest in new hardware to stay competitive.

Estimating Profitability: A Simplified Example

To provide a rough estimate of profitability, let’s consider an example of a miner in WA with a solar installation and a single Antminer S19 Pro.

• Hashrate: 110 TH/s
• Electricity cost: AUD 0.30 per kWh (grid), AUD 0.10 per kWh (solar)
• Mining reward: 6.25 BTC per block (adjusted for mining pool shares)
• Bitcoin price: AUD 40,000 (as of September 2024)
• Power consumption: 3,250 W
• Mining efficiency: 29.5 J/TH (joules per terahash)

Let’s assume this miner operates 24/7 and generates about 0.00055 BTC per day (based on the machine’s efficiency and current difficulty).

• Daily earnings: 0.00055 BTC * AUD 40,000 = AUD 22
• Daily electricity usage: 3,250 W * 24 = 78 kWh
• Daily electricity cost (grid): 78 kWh * AUD 0.30 = AUD 23.40
• Daily electricity cost (solar): 78 kWh * AUD 0.10 = AUD 7.80

If the miner consumes only grid electricity, they would lose money at AUD -1.40 per day. However, if the miner is using excess solar energy (instead of exporting to the grid), they would profit by AUD 14.20 per day.

This simplified model demonstrates that while grid electricity alone may not make Bitcoin mining profitable, integrating solar energy drastically improves the business case.

Considerations for Long-Term Viability

Although the example above offers some insight into the potential profitability of Bitcoin mining in WA, there are other factors to consider:

• Bitcoin price volatility: The price of Bitcoin can change rapidly, affecting profitability. It’s crucial to account for both bullish and bearish market conditions.
• Difficulty adjustments: The Bitcoin network automatically adjusts the difficulty of mining approximately every two weeks. Increased competition from other miners can decrease individual profitability.
• Regulatory landscape: Cryptocurrency regulations in Australia are still evolving. Changes in taxation or energy regulations could impact the viability of mining operations.
• Cooling requirements: WA’s climate, particularly in summer, can raise the temperature of mining rigs, leading to increased cooling costs and the risk of equipment overheating.

Bitcoin mining in Western Australia can be a profitable venture, especially when miners can leverage solar energy to reduce electricity costs. However, it is a capital-intensive operation that requires careful consideration of factors such as electricity rates, solar feed-in tariffs, mining rewards, and the cost of hardware. The volatile nature of cryptocurrency markets adds additional risk to this business model.

Miners must stay up-to-date with Bitcoin price movements, hardware advancements, and WA’s regulatory landscape to maximize profitability. Integrating renewable energy sources like solar can provide a competitive advantage, allowing miners to reduce operational costs and maintain long-term sustainability.