The designer of the Burj Khalifa is planning to transform skyscrapers into gigantic batteries through a gravitational energy storage system.
Burj Khalifa, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. (Image: Traveloka).
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) based in Chicago aims to leverage skyscrapers for energy storage. They are collaborating with Energy Vault to optimize a gravitational energy storage system, where heavy bricks placed high will generate energy that can be converted into electricity when released. This partnership aims to design sustainable architecture for the future, contributing to accelerating the reduction of carbon emissions.
As part of the collaboration, SOM will serve as the exclusive structural engineer and architect for the next-generation gravitational energy storage system (GESS) developed by Energy Vault. They will be responsible for integrating the technology into high-rise buildings in urban areas and projects that can be deployed in natural conditions, maximizing sustainability while reducing electricity consumption costs. Robert Piconi, the President and CEO of Energy Vault, stated that combining their pioneering gravitational energy storage technology with SOM’s expertise will provide a foundational platform to accelerate carbon emissions reductions in building construction and operation.
Energy Vault has been working with SOM over the past 12 months to optimize the structure, architecture, and economics of the GESS technology, playing a key role in deploying renewable energy globally. Based on technology developed by Energy Vault, SOM designed a prototype that lifts large bricks high using an electric motor. The process generates potential energy that can be converted into electricity when lowering the bricks. This concept is similar to that of pumped hydroelectric power plants, which are widely used.
Energy Vault completed its first major project in June near Shanghai, a storage system that can provide 25 megawatts of electricity for 4 hours. SOM is creating storage systems based on this idea, with three systems utilizing bricks or water. Two systems are located on hillside slopes, while the third is a tall cylindrical tower specifically designed for urban settings, which can integrate into residential, retail, and office spaces. The project in Shanghai by Energy Vault stands approximately 150 meters tall, but SOM’s skyscraper battery could be much taller, starting at 300 meters.
