Grid-scale energy storage specialist Energy Vault has teamed up with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to turn tall buildings into a big battery using Gravity Energy Storage (GESS). The collaboration focuses on Energy Vault’s innovative G-VAULT system. G-VAULT stores energy using a high-tech mechanism that resembles a giant seesaw with heavy weights that move up and down.
SOM and Energy Vault will use AI, smart computers and robust materials to build these systems in yet-to-be-identified locations. Unlike traditional pumped hydro storage, GESS can be built almost anywhere and store clean energy from solar and wind power for over 35 years with minimal maintenance. Customers can customise the size of the system and recycled materials will reduce waste.
SOM, of Burj Khalifa fame, will be the exclusive architect and structural engineer. Energy Vault has already deployed its EVx solution in China and is planning new configurations, including EVu and EVc, to integrate GESS into buildings. This partnership promises a future where urban architecture is a major contributor to clean energy solutions.
All images courtesy of ENERGY VAULT and SOM