Scilling partner with energy producers to help them monetise their stranded energy. We can work with hydroelectric, wind, solar and biogas producers to generate revenue from energy that would otherwise be wasted. We do this by connecting our bitcoin miners to the energy source. We believe that bitcoin mining, used as part of an energy mix, can help the development of renewable energy infrastructure. 
Scilling provides customised containers stocked with Bitcoin miners that connect to the energy at its source. Our containers are custom built to withstand all weather conditions, and to create the necessary airflow to keep the miners at the required temperature. We work with our clients to provide containers that are sized to meet their energy capacity. 
Our containers can be easily moved, monitored and managed remotely. Real-time data analytics and remote management allows for the scaling up and down of energy consumption and hash-rate. The containers can therefore act as a localised load control.
Bitcoin mining unlike other consumers of energy is location agnostic. It allows anyone, anywhere in the world to turn energy into money. 
Therefore Bitcoin mining can be a financial bridge to accelerate our much needed renewable energy build out.
To be built at scale, and meet our stated climate goals, renewable energy infrastructure needs to provide constant revenue to justify the expenditure. 
Renewable energy generation has peaks and troughs. We have windy days, sunny days, calm days and cloudy days. At times, we produce too much energy, at times too little. Renewable energy supply is unpredictable. 
Demand for energy though is predictable. We take showers, put on kettles, cook the dinner etc. at the same time every day.  
This situation creates an excess. The end result is stranded energy. Renewable energy producers can't always sell their energy to the grid. It can’t always be stored effectively. Energy can be lost when transported. It has potential. But nowhere to go.
Energy grids become strained when there is an imbalance between supply and demand. In worse cases, when demand exceeds supply we get blackouts or brownouts. 
The adoption of renewable energy sources can strain grids as these energy sources are intermittent. They are not always available when needed. Typically, in Ireland and the UK, when demand is high we have to run peaker plants (energy generated by oil and gas) to keep the grid running smoothly. 
One way to alleviate strain on grids during pressure periods is by utilising demand side response. This means having flexible energy consumers that power down during peak periods, and turn on again during periods of excess supply.   
The Irish Government recently published it’s 2023 Climate Action Plan. One key goal is to deliver a flexible national grid. It aims to accelerate demand side flexibility by 15 - 20 %.
As energy consumers, Bitcoin miners are unique. They are perfectly interruptible and uniquely sensitive to price. They are incentivised to turn off during peak periods. They will also always bid for power and create a demand for excess energy during peak supply periods. 
Therefore, Bitcoin mining can increase total generation and incentivises an ‘overbuild’ of renewables. 
Texas Grid Case Study 
Texas provides a case study for Bitcoin Mining and its relationship with the grid. Texas has an abundance of renewable energy, and it also has an advanced Bitcoin mining industry. See below a graph detailing miners' response to peak demand during a storm in December 2022: 
Key: 
 Green line = Bitcoin miners          Yellow line = Electricity price     White line = Bitcoin break even price 

See below quote from Brad Jones, former head of ERCOT, Texas’ electrical grid on the impact miners can have on the grid. 

A circular economy aims to: 
  • Keep resources in use for as long as possible, until they are regenerated into new products at the end of their life cycle. 
  • Move away from the ‘take-make-waste’ to reduce carbon impact. 
  • Reduce our reliance on fossil based fuel and carbon intensive resources
Bitcoin mining can play a role in this transition. An example is the partnering of mining with anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.  
Farms are large emitters of methane. Methane emissions are 84 times more damaging to global warming than C02. The UN describes cutting methane as the strongest lever we have to slow climate change over the next 25 years (source). 
Anaerobic digestion is the safe processing of this methane into a renewable energy source. AD facilities break down agricultural waste and convert it into biogas. A byproduct of this is the remaining digestate. The residual material after the AD process is rich in nutrients and is used by farmers to feed back into the land as fertiliser.  
A barrier to large scale roll out in Ireland, and further afield, is the cost of installing AD facilities. In addition to this, due to grid inefficiencies and connection delays the energy produced can become stranded. Bitcoin mining can step in here as the crucial first customer and provide revenue for farmers from day one. Mining equipment can be turned on and off as appropriate to soak up all stranded energy and provide a constant revenue stream. 
In the context of the development of AD plants (and their subsequent benefits to emission reductions and the circular economy), the revenue provided by Bitcoin mining can be the difference to ensure large-scale deployment of AD plants are financially viable. 
Scilling and their partnership with farmer Tom Cambell in Armagh, are showing how this can be done. 



In 2019, it was estimated that 75 million worth of renewable energy was wasted on the island of Ireland (source). 
Energy can become stranded for a number of reasons, most commonly in Ireland and Western Europe,  energy becomes stranded due to lack of grid interconnection. Frequently renewable energy can is produced in remote areas that cannot be transported due to a lack of infrastructure. 
Other factors that cause energy to become stranded include: 
i) Economic barriers - the cost of installing infrastructure to transport energy is too high
ii) Regulatory barriers - there can be legal or policy constraints that limit the transportation of energy across regions or countries. For example, countries can impose quotas or tariffs on importing different types of energy.
 iii) Political Instability - political unrest or conflict can make it unsafe to transport or use energy. 
iv) Technological barriers - Energy project become stranded when the technology used to produce the energy becomes outdated, or is incompatible with the infrastructure needed to transport the energy. 
Stranded energy is a waste of resources and a lost opportunity for economic growth and environmental sustainability. Innovative solutions need to be found to ensure that energy resources are used efficiently. There are a number of uses for stranded energy such as energy storage, data centers and community energy projects. 
We believe that Bitcoin mining should be considered alongside these to make the most efficient use of any stranded energy.