Skyscrapers as Energy Storage Systems
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), the designers of the Burj Khalifa, plan to transform skyscrapers into massive batteries using gravity energy storage systems.
SOM is partnering with Energy Vault to optimize the gravity-based energy storage system, which involves heavy blocks suspended at heights, releasing energy when dropped and converted into electricity. The collaboration aims to design sustainable building architecture for the future, accelerating carbon footprint reduction.
Partnership Details
As per the partnership, SOM will serve as the exclusive structural engineer and architect for Energy Vault's next-generation gravity energy storage system (GESS). They will integrate the technology into high-rise urban towers and structures feasible for natural environments, maximizing sustainability and reducing energy consumption costs.
Robert Piconi, CEO of Energy Vault, stated that combining their pioneering GESS technology with SOM's expertise would provide a platform to accelerate decarbonization in building construction and operations.
SOM's Role
Over the past year, Energy Vault and SOM have jointly optimized the structural, architectural, and economic aspects of the GESS technology, key to enabling global renewable energy adoption. Using technology developed by Energy Vault, SOM conceived a prototype levitating massive blocks vertically with electric motors. The potential energy created can be converted to electricity by lowering the blocks, similar to conventional pumped hydro storage plants.
Energy Vault's Achievements
Energy Vault commissioned its first commercial-scale project near Shanghai in June, with the storage system capable of delivering 25 megawatts of electricity for four hours. SOM has created renderings of storage systems based on this concept, with three variations utilizing blocks or water. While two systems are hillside-based, a third depicts a cylindrical tower specifically designed for urban environments, compatible with residential, retail, and office spaces. Energy Vault's Shanghai project stands at approximately 500 feet tall, but SOM's skyscraper batteries could be much taller, starting at 1,000 feet.
Summary
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP is partnering with Energy Vault to integrate gravity energy storage systems into skyscrapers, transforming them into giant batteries. The collaboration aims to advance sustainable building design and accelerate carbon footprint reduction, with SOM serving as the exclusive structural engineer and architect for Energy Vault's GESS technology. Energy Vault's advancements and SOM's skyscraper expertise have the potential to revolutionize urban energy storage, enabling the adoption of renewable energy sources on a larger scale.