A leading architecture and engineering firm behind the world's tallest building – among other major projects – has teamed up with startup Energy Vault in order to design skyscrapers that incorporate gravity batteries into their design.

As the planet moves towards renewable energy, we are faced with the problem of storage. The problem is that the wind doesn't blow and the Sun doesn't shine at precisely the time when people want to consume their power. On particularly windy or sunny days, too much electricity can be generated, potentially leading to a situation where consumers are paid to consume electricity rather than overload the grid. Cheap, clean energy is, of course, a good thing, but power that isn't used becomes lost.

It would be better if we could store that energy away for later use. Gravity batteries are one way of doing that.

Despite the cool name, the idea behind gravity batteries is really simple. During times when energy sources are producing more energy than the demand, the excess energy is used to move weights (in the form of water, or sometimes sand) upwards, turning it into potential energy. When the power supply is low, these objects can then be released, powering turbines as our good friend (and deadly enemy) gravity sends them toward the Earth. 

Though generally gravity batteries take the form of reservoirs, abandoned mines moving sand or other weights up when excess power is being produced are also being created. The latest idea is to incorporate gravity batteries into the design of tall buildings.

“Since our founding, [architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill] has pushed the boundaries of architecture and engineering, redefining what buildings can do for cities and communities,” Adam Semel, Managing Partner of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, said in a statement. 

“This partnership with Energy Vault is a commitment not only to accelerate the world’s transition away from fossil fuels, but also to explore, together, how the architecture of renewable energy can enhance our shared natural landscapes and urban environments."

Incorporating gravity batteries into the design of future skyscrapers will give them multi-GWh of gravity-based energy storage, enough to power them and adjacent buildings, according to the teams. By incorporating the hydro system into buildings, they hope to minimize disruption to wildlife ecosystems associated with other energy storage systems.