TYPES OF BITCOIN MINING COLOCATION HOSTING FACILITIES

EDUCATION > BITCOIN MINING COLOCATION > TYPES OF BITCOIN MINING COLOCATION HOSTING FACILITIES

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

> Choosing the right type of bitcoin mining colocation facility is critical to the success of your mining operation. 

> Liquid immersion cooled bitcoin mining is becoming increasingly popular. 

> Heat is one of the biggest factors to consider when choosing a facility. 

 

 

Air Cooled: Most bitcoin mining colocation facilities use air cooling. In air cooling facilities, the mining facility uses large fans to circulate the air within the facility as the primary cooling method. When selecting an air-cooled facility it is important to take into consideration (a) the location and ambient temperatures where the facility is located, and (b) the quality of the air cooling engineering. For example, it is not advised to mine bitcoin in an air-cooled facility in a hot region like the Nevada desert. The miners will simply overheat on hot days and uptime will be suboptimal in hot months. In West Texas in 2022 – where many bitcoin mining facilities have been built – miners have reported low operational up-time during the summer because temperatures can reach 100-110+ F. Check the ambient temperature of the location of the air-cooled facility to understand what the summertime uptime may be. You do not want to see many average temperatures above 100 degrees.

 

Liquid Immersion Cooled: A newer and increasingly popular form of cooling is liquid immersion – due to its noise-dampening and increased cooling capability. In liquid immersion, the miners are submerged in a dielectric fluid that directly cools the miner. Liquid immersion is fast becoming popular because it provides the ability to overclock the miners – thereby increasing the hash rate by 20-50% comfortably. Liquid immersion facilities can be located in warmer areas if designed appropriately. Liquid immersion also is expected to increase the lifespan of the miners because it removes the constant barrage of particulates that smash into the chips associated with fan/air cooling. Learn more about the benefits of liquid immersion.

 

Modular Facilities: A popular design for bitcoin mining colocation facilities is the use of modular (shipping container size) structures. These structures can be built in remote locations easily. If designed appropriately, these modular designs are popular and efficient. Not all modules are built the same. Hence, it is important to ask about the design of the module when evaluating a modular facility. With limited space in a modular facility, it is also important to understand where miners will be stored upon delivery and if / where the miners may be repaired. For example, the repair shop or storage may be in another shipping container on-site or could be miles away at another location.

 

Standalone or Prebuilt Structures: Another popular design for bitcoin mining colocation facilities are inside existing or newly built buildings. These can be warehouses, existing commercial buildings, or steel structures purpose-built for larger-scale deployments.

To view different Bitcoin Mining Colocation Facilities and see reviews, check out www.hashbranch.com.