INNOVATION: Researchers propose turning high-rise buildings into batteries for energy storage – EQ Mag Pro

New Delhi: A new research has proposed a novel gravitational-based storage solution called the Lift Energy Storage Technology (LEST). The method, proposed by researchers from Austria-based International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), has been published in the journal Energy.

This solution will use lifts and empty apartments in tall buildings to store energy by lifting wet sand containers or other high-density materials, which are transported remotely in and out of a lift with seperate trailer devices.

Since lifts are already installed in high-rise buildings, there will be no need for additional investment or space occupancy. LEST will use what is already there in a different way to create additional value for the power grid and the building owner.

According to the authors, the main challenge in making a gravity energy storage solution viable is the power capacity cost. The most important benefit of LEST is that the power capacity is already installed in lifts with regenerative braking systems.

There are over 18 million lifts in operation globally, and many of these spend a significant amount of time sitting still. The idea is that when the lifts are not being used to transport people, it can be used to store or generate electricity.

The new technology still has a few details that need to be further refined before the system can be deployed, including finding room to store the weights the system relies on at the top of the building when the system is fully charged, and at the bottom of the building when the system is discharged.

Another consideration is the ceiling bearing capacity of existing buildings where the system is installed, that is, the total mass in kilograms per square meter that the ceiling can support without collapsing.

If implemented, a system like LEST can provide affordable and decentralized support services to improve power quality in urban areas.

Source: PTI