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Micro-Grids & GPUs: How Edge Data Centres Monetise Surplus Solar

Every kilowatt-hour your rooftop array can't sell back to the grid can instead mint dollars by driving AI inference next door.

1
The Solar Curtailment Dilemma

Utility-scale renewables are booming, but sunny afternoons now create a paradox: too much generation, negative wholesale prices, and operators asked to curtail output. Behind-the-meter owners—office parks, malls, campuses—face the same frustration: net-metering caps reached, batteries filled, inverters throttled.

At the same time, AI workloads crave power but don't always need hyperscale latency. The intersection is a 2–5 MW "micro-data-centre" inside a micro-grid: GPUs soak up surplus kWh, then power revenue-positive export during peak demand.

2-5 MW
Optimal micro-DC size
$0.002
Per AI token revenue
Negative
Peak solar wholesale prices

2
Anatomy of a Solar-Driven Edge Site

System Architecture
Rooftop PV Array (2 MW)
Inverter Bus (750 VDC)
5 MWh Battery
(2-hour storage)
Micro-Grid ATS
(Grid / Island)
300kW GPU Pod
(12 x OCP racks)
Utility Grid (480V 3φ AC)
System Components
PV Array 2 MWp
Delivers 1.9 GWh in a sunny month
Battery 5 MWh
Captures mid-day surplus, discharges into evening grid peaks or night-time AI
GPU Pod 300 kW IT
Eight OCP racks, liquid-to-chip cooled. Draws 7 MWh per 24h when fully utilised
Island-able ATS
Bumps the site's I-PWR score from 3 → 4 (micro-grid autonomy)
Power Flow Benefits
Direct DC Coupling
Eliminates AC/DC conversion losses
Energy Arbitrage
Store cheap, sell expensive
Load Balancing
AI workloads follow solar availability
Grid Independence
Island mode during outages

3
Revenue Model: Data Instead of Dump

Daily Operation Schedule
How the micro-grid optimizes revenue across different time periods
Time of DayPV StatusBattery ActionGPU LoadGrid InteractionRevenue Source
11:00-15:00Surplus (curtail threat)ChargeLow (10%)Zero exportEnergy hedge (store)
18:00-21:00PV drops, grid peak priceDischargeLowExport 1 MWSell at $0.14/kWh
22:00-06:00No PV, cheap gridIdleFull (300 kW)Import $0.05/kWhAI inference @$0.002/token
Monthly P&L Snapshot (Texas ERCOT, July)
PV generation
1.9 GWh
Sold to grid peak
270 MWh × $0.14 = $37,800
+$37,800
AI consumption
210 MWh × $0.05 grid cost = $10,500 expense
-$10,500
AI revenue
210 MWh × 4 tokens/W × $0.002 ≈ $67,200
+$67,200
Net micro-grid profit
$94,500 (PV ROI +39% vs energy-only sell-back)
+$94,500
+39% ROI Improvement
vs energy-only sell-back model

4
Resiliency by the Numbers (CAM Lens)

CAM Pillar Scores
How the micro-grid architecture achieves high availability
I-PWR
4
/4
Dual PV → DC bus, 5 MWh battery, islanding ATS; any grid outage < 2h invisible.
I-COOL
3
/4
Liquid-to-chip loops + redundant CDUs; free-cool 65% of year.
I-NWK
3
/4
Two fibre paths; secondary microwave link.
I-DATA
4
/4
Three-way raft registry (on-site + 2 colos) RPO 0s.
I-CTRL
3
/4
Active-active ArgoCD; GitOps rollback < 5 min.
CAM Tier 3
Composite I-Score = 3.4 → 3
For an inference workload with A-Level A2, the site achieves CAM Tier 3—equivalent uptime to a single Tier-3 colo, but with 60% lower cap-ex and a carbon-negative footprint when PV exceeds consumption.

5
Why GridSite Matters

GridSite already catalogues hundreds of micro-DCs, cell-tower cabinets, and rooftop containers. Each listing exposes live CAM pillar telemetry—fuel autonomy, coolant delta-T, BGP path diversity—so your placement engine can pick the cheapest node that keeps your workload at Tier 3 or better.

Marketplace Discovery

Edge operators list micro-grid sites with live power/solar telemetry; AI tenants bid for off-peak blocks.

Carbon-Aware Filter

Sort sites by kg-CO₂/kWh intensity; preferentially run non-latency-critical ML in cleanest hours.

CAM Certification Display

Green badge proves that even a containerised edge DC meets Tier-3-equivalent resiliency.

6
Implementation Playbook

1

Audit Curtail Logs

If you clipped >10% of PV last year, you have stranded capacity.

2

Size GPU Load to Battery

Aim for nightly discharge that leaves 10% reserve for grid peak next day.

3

Seek Modular Pods

300 kW OCP or immersion blocks fit in parking-deck footprint.

4

Apply Availability Standard

Score pillars; budget upgrades only where below Tier target.

5

List on GridSite

Publish live solar forecast + available kW; let ML workloads come to you.

7. Executive Takeaway

Stop dumping solar at negative prices—spin photons into inference revenue and export firm capacity when the grid needs it most.

Published August 2025
Category: Sustainability