Gravity Energy Storage
Glenn van de Wiel @ unsplash.com
A sustainable energy storage system that can also be used to generate electricity when solar or wind energy are insufficient. The gravity energy storage 'battery' is charged up by using excess sustainable electricity to power crane motors, which lift and neatly pile heavy concrete blocks at considerable heights: the higher they are towered, the more potential energy they store. When energy demand outpaces supply, each block is swiftly lowered to the ground generating electricity as its weight pulls cables that spin turbines.
The system is equipped with a fully automated custom software that allows for energy optimization of the towering and dropping of the blocks by the cranes. This solution is best fitted for long-duration storage with speedy reaction times. Current providers show a storage capacity of up to 80 megawatt-hours per tower, which could continuously release 4 to 8 megawatts for 8 to 16 hours.