The Burj Khalifa designer plans skyscrapers that can be used as giant batteries, all for the good of the tower itself but also for the future of the built environment, which needs power.
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Burj Khalifa designer plans skyscrapers that can be used as giant batteries
Image above is for illustration – credit: Medium
The company will use a gravity energy storage system that would help in turning skyscrapers into batteries.
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Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
The designer of the world’s tallest building is now planning to make skyscrapers that would be capable of storing energy.
Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), the firm that designed Burj Khalifa, now aims to turn skyscrapers into batteries using gravity.
“What if a building could become a battery? We’ve partnered with Energy Vault to optimize its gravity energy storage system—where heavy blocks stored high, when released, create energy that can be converted into electricity,” said SOM on X.
The partnership aims to design the future of sustainable building architectures that enable accelerated carbon paybacks for the first time.
Under this strategic partnership, SOM will be the exclusive architect and structural engineer for Energy Vault’s next-generation gravity energy storage systems (GESS). This includes incorporating the technology into tall buildings in urban areas and deployable structures in natural settings, maximizing sustainability, accelerating carbon payback, and lowering the levelized cost of energy consumption.
“We are extremely pleased to begin this exclusive global partnership with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, a firm with an unparalleled track record in developing some of the world’s most remarkable structures,” said Robert Piconi, chairman and chief executive officer, Energy Vault.
“Our strategic partnership with SOM opens a new multi-billion dollar market segment for Energy Vault focused on the future of sustainability in new building design and energy efficiency.”
Piconi emphasized that combining their pioneering gravity energy storage technology with SOM’s expertise will provide the first platform to achieve accelerated carbon payback in building construction and operation.
Energy Vault revealed it began working with SOM during the last 12 months to optimize the structure, architecture, and economics of its GESS technology, which plays a critical role in the deployment of renewable energy globally.
SOM designed prototypes
Based on technology developed by partner Energy Vault Holdings Inc., SOM has designed prototypes that elevate massive blocks using electric motors. The process creates potential energy that can be converted into power as blocks are lowered.
The concept is similar to widely used pumped hydroelectric plants. Energy Vault completed its first major project this month near Shanghai, a stand-alone storage system that can supply as much as 25 megawatts of power for four hours. Other companies are testing new types of gravity storage systems, including ones using abandoned oil wells and mines, reported Bloomberg.
SOM has created four storage systems based on this concept, three utilizing heavy blocks or water. Two are integrated into hillsides, and the third is a tall, cylindrical tower designed for urban environments, potentially incorporating residential, retail, and office spaces.
Energy Vault’s Shanghai project is about 150 meters (490 feet) high, but SOM’s skyscraper batteries may be much higher, starting at 300 meters, according to Bloomberg.
“Since our founding, SOM has pushed the boundaries of architecture and engineering, redefining what buildings can do for cities and communities,” said SOM’s Adam Semel.
Semel stated that the partnership with Energy Vault is a commitment to accelerating the world’s transition away from fossil fuels and exploring how renewable energy architecture can enhance their shared environments.
“Given the transformative nature of Energy Vault’s technology, we’re especially excited to launch this unique, global partnership.”
Energy Vault’s gravity energy storage systems (GESS)
Energy Vault said that its growing portfolio of GESS deployments is highlighted by recent expansions of its global footprint into the African and Asian markets.
In 2023, Energy Vault announced the commissioning of the world’s first EVx gravity storage system in China, the largest energy storage market in the world.
The company recently announced three additional EVx GESS deployments of 368 MWh in China through a license and royalty agreement announced in early 2022, bringing the total announced projects in China to 3.7 GWh.
Earlier this year, Energy Vault announced a new license and royalty agreement for its gravity technology portfolio with grid partners in South Africa covering the 16-country Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
The 10-year agreement is expected to result in multi-GWh of long-duration Energy Vault GESS deployments to contribute to the SADC region’s energy storage needs, which are estimated to be 25 GW/125 GWh by 2035.
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