I don't want to crap on peoples ideas. Really, I don't.

But getting some closet case computer with unknown hardware and turning it into a server, at scale, is an impossible scheme.

The only way to make it work would be to buy hundreds of laptops at once and refurb, new storage, and standardize with custom power delivery. Because who wants hundreds of laptop PSU's plugged into power strips. And those do in fact die.

And then there's the horror of manually removing wifi hardware and batteries. Battery disposal is an issue. And having worked on hundreds of laptops, some of them are major pains in the neck to get to the battery. Consumer HP's come to mind. The bottom cover can be difficult to remove without breaking any of the clips.

Point of Reference: 27 years in web hosting