AI & your home / Blog & insights
AI node hosting: the new guaranteed monthly payments, explained
Core, Plus, and Max now offer a guaranteed monthly base from Vendor. Here is what you get, when payments start, and how to evaluate the full home-energy plan.
What changed in November 2026?
The updated program pays you a fixed monthly base for hosting a node alongside a qualifying solar project. Vendor owes that base even if your node has no paid computing work. It replaces the earlier individual-node revenue-sharing offer; older videos and launch materials may describe terms that no longer apply to this offer. [1]
What is guaranteed, and who pays it?
Vendor, Inc., the compute partner, guarantees the enrolled plan’s base: Core $200, Plus $300, or Max $400 per eligible full month, before your expenses and taxes. The amount does not depend on utilization, workload demand, compute pricing, collections, or Vendor’s profitability. Vendor cannot deduct its business costs from the fixed base. This is Vendor’s contractual obligation; the agreement alone does not establish that insurance or third-party payment coverage is in force. [2]
What could the optional bonus add?
Core can earn an additional $0–$150, Plus $0–$300, and Max $0–$400 per eligible full month. That makes the maximum total $350, $600, or $800 respectively. These are caps, not forecasts or guaranteed total payments. The bonus pool is 50% of positive network surplus after defined costs and reserves, allocated among eligible nodes in proportion to their bonus caps. A bonus can be zero at any utilization level. It never reduces your base. Budget around the base and treat a bonus as extra. [2]
When do payments start, and how long do they last?
Activation occurs when the node is installed, commissioned, and accepted by Vendor as ready to host. It does not depend on the first paid workload. The service term is 30 years from activation, unless lawfully ended earlier. Vendor initiates monthly payments on or before the 15th of the following month and provides an itemized statement. Partial activation and termination months are prorated by eligible days. [2]
How do solar, equipment, and internet fit together?
The current Powur offer requires a qualifying new solar or solar-plus-battery system. An existing-solar home may have a path through a qualifying second solar system; an existing system alone or a battery-only addition does not qualify. The current offer pairs PRO 4500 with Core, PRO 5000 with Plus, and PRO 6000 with Max. The node is separate computing equipment owned by Vendor. It needs approved indoor space, power, and a wired network connection. The standard one-node internet service is rated at least 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, subject to site and internet-provider approval. Review availability, installation requirements, node electricity use, and internet costs before committing. [3] [2]
Who pays for upkeep, and what happens during outages?
Vendor provides equipment maintenance, necessary equipment-service labor, repairs, replacements, and upgrades at no cost to the host for the full service term. An upgrade does not change your enrolled base or bonus cap or restart the term. Temporary power or internet outages and Vendor-directed maintenance, repairs, replacement, temporary removal, or safety disconnection do not reduce the base. You must maintain the required services, report problems, provide reasonable service access, and cooperate with restoration. [2]
Does the guarantee cover every bill?
No. The current agreement guarantees a fixed contribution toward your costs. It does not keep bills below a historical baseline or include a separate internet reimbursement or shortfall top-up. Higher utility rates, a larger financing payment, or a higher internet bill do not automatically increase your base. If you authorize Vendor to pay $100 of a $200 Core payment toward a bill, the remaining cash payment is $100—the total remains $200. Compare the complete project price, financing, electricity, internet, and potential taxes using a $0-bonus month. Included node service does not mean the whole solar project is free. [2]
Can I cancel, move, or sell the home?
The 30-year agreement does not provide an optional right to terminate for convenience. Mandatory statutory cancellation rights, lawful remedies, and termination agreed in writing by both parties remain available. Before a sale or move, notify Vendor. A successor must consent to a written assumption of the remaining term, with site eligibility and any required financing or property-owner approvals. If transfer cannot be completed, the parties must document a lawful resolution. Hosting changes do not automatically cancel or change your separate solar loan, lease, or PPA. [2]
What if Vendor permanently stops providing the service?
For the permanent cessation or service-failure events specified in the agreement, Vendor must arrange lawful equipment retrieval and pay an independently appraised fair market value credit for the current enrolled node equipment toward designated associated financing. It is not the original purchase price, the value of the solar system, or a promise to pay the remaining loan balance. A home sale, unsuccessful transfer, temporary outage, or bankruptcy filing alone does not trigger that credit. Applicable law and insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings can affect recovery. If insurance is offered, ask for the actual coverage documents; the hosting agreement alone does not prove coverage is in force. [2]
Build a proposal around your home
Ask for the enrolled hosting plan, complete project price, solar production estimate, node energy demand, approved internet requirements, financing schedule, and the current agreement before signing. Hosting payouts may be taxable; ask an independent tax adviser about your situation. Then compare your expected household costs using only the guaranteed base. Compare the three hosting plans or start your home energy review.
Sources & further reading
Information reviewed November 8, 2026. Follow the linked primary sources for complete guidance and updates.
- Updated Compute Node Hosting Program announcement, November 4, 2026Powur
- Hosting Agreement Rev 2.10, November 2, 2026Vendor, Inc.
- Compute Node Hosting Program customer handout, Rev 2.10Powur
Reviewed against the current Powur guide, November 4 announcement, Rev 2.10 customer handout, and Vendor Hosting Agreement Rev 2.10 dated November 2, 2026. The signed agreement and approved proposal govern. Earlier launch examples should not be used as current payment terms. This explanation does not establish insurance coverage or guarantee net savings.