Gravity Energy Storage

Table of Contents☰

About Gravity Energy Storage:

It is a new technology that stores energy using gravity.
How does it work?
- It involves lifting a heavy mass during excess energy generation and releasing it to produce electricity when demand rises or solar energy is unavailable.
- The types of weights used are often water, concrete blocks or compressed earth blocks.
- Unlike pumped-hydro energy storage, gravity energy storage offers more flexibility in site selection.
- A typical setup involves a heavy piston within a fluid-filled cylindrical container.
- When solar energy production exceeds demand, surplus electricity lifts the piston, converting the surplus electrical energy into stored energy.
- When demand surpasses supply, the piston descends, driving water through a turbine to generate electricity supply to meet demand.
Advantages
- It can last for decades with minimal maintenance, unlike batteries that degrade over time.
- It avoids harmful chemical reactions, reducing environmental impact and disposal issues, an important consideration in the move towards a greener planet.
- It can also be more cost-effective for large-scale applications, with lower level costs of energy and storage.
- It is particularly advantageous in areas with space constraints or environmental concerns that restrict the deployment of other storage systems.

Q1: What is Renewable energy?

It is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed. Sunlight and wind, for example, are such sources that are constantly being replenished. Renewable energy sources are plentiful and all around us.

News: How gravity can be harnessed to store renewable energy