Scientists propose turning high-rises into gravity batteries

Gravity is hard to escape. So why not put it to good use? Researchers have now proposed a new concept to store energy using gravity that could turn skyscrapers into giant batteries.The idea piggybacks on existing elevators and empty spaces in high-rise buildings. Renewable energy, the researchers suggest, would be used to carry a heavy solid mass up to the top of a building, effectively storing it as potential energy. As the mass comes down, it would drive a generator that produces electricity. Given the stock of tall buildings around the world, such systems could store anywhere from 30 to 300 gigawatt-hours of energy, they report in the journal Energy.As renewable energy surges globally, the need for low-cost, long-lasting energy storage as an alternative to batteries is  increasing. Gravity energy storage is one such novel concept that is being tested around the world. A handful…

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