The future includes skyscrapers as a renewable energy source

Burj Khalifa developer designs prototypes for energy storing skyscrapers: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) — the architecture firm behind the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building — has developed four prototype designs for skyscrapers that can produce and store energy using gravity, Bloomberg reports. The designs are based on battery storage technology from Switzerland’s Energy Vault Holdings that is an alternative to lithium-ion and other batteries. The firm is now looking for partners interested in the project.

How would it work? Electric motors would lift large blocks, which, upon being lowered, would create energy that can be turned into electricity. Three of SOM’s prototypes are for standalone systems that use heavy blocks or water, and the fourth is developed for urban use. Once a building surpasses the 200-meter mark, a gravity-storage system could generate ample power to sustain its operations. This marks the point where building operators can commence offsetting the carbon footprint of construction materials, with certain SOM designs anticipated to achieve this payback within two to four years.

Why this is important: This form of energy storage could help address a major hurdle facing clean energy transition: Determining a zero-carbon method to keep lights on when winds are calm and the skies are cloudy. Advocates of the gravity energy storage technology say it could help provide an alternative to relying on lithium-ion batteries, which eventually degrade over time. Piconi said in January that the technology could help bring in a system that offers cheap, abundant, and long-lasting energy storage.

Energy Vault has delivered its own skyscraper gravity project: Energy Vault has completed a 150 meter stand-alone storage system outside of Shanghai with a capacity of 25 MW for four hours. The systems the company uses can supply energy for about USD 0.05-0.10 per kWh compared to lithium-ion batteries’ USD 0.135, according to CEO Robert Piconi, who hopes to begin constructing a similar product in the Middle East in 2026.