cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/59615557

Includes 1% O&M costs, 5% financing “mortgage” fully paid back in 25 years.

Project Summary: Nebraska “Zero-Cost” 1 kW Baseload Datacenter

This model establishes a net-zero electricity cost for a 1 kW continuous datacenter load in Nebraska. It utilizes a Hybrid CapEx Strategy (Chinese hardware + 35% Western Premium) and is financed at a 5% interest rate.

1. Core System Configuration

  • Solar Array: 53 kW DC - Sized to generate sufficient annual H2 revenue to offset all debt.
  • LFP Battery: 150 kWh - Sized for 24-hour summer H2 operation (130 kWh nightly discharge).
  • Electrolyzer: 12 kW - High-utilization unit for summer surplus conversion.
  • Baseload Load: 1 kW - Constant 24/7/365 datacenter power requirement.

2. Financial & Cost Assumptions

  • Financing: 5% annual interest rate over a 25-year amortization term.
  • Western Premium: A 35% markup on all base Chinese hardware costs to cover logistics, U.S. import duties, and Nebraska-based labor and permitting.
  • Hardware Base Pricing (Pre-Premium):
    • Solar Panels: $0.35/Watt
    • LFP Batteries: $80/kWh
    • Electrolyzer + BoS: $500/kW
  • Annual O&M: 1% of total CapEx per year for maintenance and insurance.

3. Operational & Environmental Assumptions

  • Location: Nebraska, USA (~41°N Latitude).
  • Solar Yield: 1,400 kWh/year per 1 kW of installed solar.
  • Peak Sun Hours (PSH):
    • Summer Max (June 21): 7.5 PSH.
    • Winter Average (Dec/Jan): 1.9 PSH.
  • H2 Efficiency: 50 kWh per 1 kg of Hydrogen produced.
  • Water Feedstock: ~9 litres of deionized water per 1 kg of H2.
  • Byproducts: Oxygen (O2) is vented; no revenue or compression costs included.

4. Economic Performance (The “Zero-Cost” Result)

  • Total System CapEx: $49,316
  • Annual Expenses (Debt + O&M): $3,989
  • Annual H2 Yield: ~2,000 kg
  • Required H2 Sale Price: $2.00/kg to achieve breakeven.
  • Net Cost of Electricity: $0.00 / kWh (fully subsidized by H2 sales).

5. Seasonal & Winter Analysis

Summer Max (June 21)

  • System achieves 24-hour saturation of the 12 kW electrolyzer.
  • Total Daily Production: ~397 kWh.

Winter Average (Dec/Jan)

  • Average Daily Production: 100.7 kWh.
  • Daily Baseload Demand: 24.0 kWh.
  • Average Winter Surplus: 76.7 kWh/day (used for H2 or sold).

Resiliency (Dark Day Buffer)

  • The 150 kWh battery can sustain the 1 kW load for ~6 days of 0% solar production.
  • Deficit Strategy: Any deficit beyond 6 days is covered by Employee BEVs at a payout of 20¢/kWh.
  • humanspiral@lemmy.caOP
    3·
    2 days ago

    This is without grid connection. If grid connected, and wholesale exported electricity revenue of 15c/kwh on cold sunny winter day or summer heat wave (72 days potential) would be 3.7 times more profitable than H2 electrolysis (assuming only $2/kg revenue), and generate over $1000/kw. Recent winter storm in PJM area spiked to $3/kwh. It wasn’t necessarily sunny during spike, but if there is a wholesale participation contract, paying employee BEV owners a huge premium is still way more than 15c/kwh. There were very cold sunny places with $1/kwh after the storm. Can consider closing the datacenter those days, but the large battery, can also monetize peak scarcity during the storm.