Gravity Batteries: Are These the Next-Gen Solution to Energy Storage Issues
Experts are now arguing about what should be the center of clean energy
One being scrutinized is called gravity batteries, which use a simple principle
Does it have what it takes to sustain renewables?
After decades of tech innovation, we've finally unlocked renewable energy
But like other energy sources, it has a problem too: we can't control it
Mining and refining fossil fuels happen 24/7 across the globe, so the problem is the abundance of supply, apart from polluting our planet
In renewable energy, the catch is downtime
When the sun, the wind, and the waves do their thing nonstop, we can mine tons
But that's not the reality, so we need efficient storage to make it through downtimes
Some are betting on the limitless force that binds us all: gravity
Gravity batteries are next-generation power storage following the principle of gravity itself
If there's a lot of clean energy, use it to move an incredibly heavy thing to a fixed height
When renewables are in decline, unleash the energy stored within by dropping the load and powering a generator via downward gravitational pull
In some sense, gravity batteries work like pumped hydro
Pump hydro is a tried-and-tested system, yet unable to take the world by storm because installing one requires a ton of budget and a massive area
Gravity batteries, meanwhile, are smaller in scale
The Edinburgh-based startup Gravitricity is working to bring these devices to reality
It already finished a trial of its first gravity battery in April
It was a 49-foot steel tower suspended on a 50-ton iron weight
The electric motors gradually moved the heavy thing upward
Then, it was slowly released back down to earth, which powered multiple electric generators
Since the trial was small, it only generated 250 kilowatts of electricity
That's enough to power 750 homes for a short time
Moving forward, the company plans to use decommissioned coal mines, instead of building towers that eat space
In coal mine shafts, gravity batteries could be stretched for 984 feet or more
But tests are a must to determine the safety of these devices inside mine shafts
"There are also potential safety issues around methane gas, and the mines being flooded," explained director Charlie Blair, per BBC
While we're still far from deploying thousands of these batteries, certain techs are already up and ready as compliments. AI could easily control gravity batteries and monitor mine shafts for possible issues
Gravity as an energy source seems possible on a massive scale. Though nations will have to be strict on safety measures
The principle behind is crude: pull it up, bring it down, and rinse and repeat
Mechanical contractions can break, and parts are prone to wear and tear
If we take this approach lightly, disasters can occur with ease
Have you heard about gravity batteries before?
Do you believe that we can really use gravity to power our cities?
Share your thoughts in the comment section
'Till our next video! Thanks for watching!