0
Utility
About UsConferencePartner With Us
  • Infrastructure
    Compliance
    Gas Control
    Grid
    Transmission and Distribution
  • Field Operations
    Utilities Field Service
    Utility Locating and Mapping
    Wastewater Treatment
  • Utility Intelligence
    Utilities AI
    Utilities Asset Management
    Utilities Billing
  • Leadership Perspectives
  • Innovation Insights
  • Research
  • News
  • Magazines
  • CXO Awards
THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING

Weekly Brief

loading

A Concrete Plan to Save Planet Earth: Renewable Energy Restored

Energy vault plants can function for over 30 years with almost no fade capacity and maintenance, cutting costs by using off-the-shelf commercial hardware. 

By

Utilities Tech Outlook | Tuesday, February 26, 2019

In today’s world where renewable energy is becoming the pioneer in energy sources, finding the most suitable storage system is imminent, one that can be called upon, regardless of circumstances. Innovating better energy storage system is crucial, and the new concrete method, as the scientists have come to call it, seems outstanding. When an object is lifted against gravity, energy gets stored in it. Later when it falls, the same energy can be retrieved. Since concrete is much denser than water, a block of concrete being lifted could store and supply a lot more power than a similar sized tank of water.

Thanks to Bill Gross, an entrepreneur and Andrea Pedretti, a Swiss inventor who developed the energy vault system that is providing a new angle to how renewable energy is produced and stored. A 400 foot tall, six armed crane stands at the center. Concrete cylinders, each weighing 35 metric tons is stacked around the crane far below the arms in its discharged state. When an excess of wind or solar power is generated, an algorithm commands one or more crane arms to screen and locate a concrete block with the help of cameras that are attached to the trolley of the cranes. Once a block is found and hooked, a motor powered by the excess electricity lifts the block. The crane with its programming counters the oscillatory movement of the pulley due to any natural cause. Thus, the blocks are smoothly lifted and stacked, one on top of the other—higher up off the ground. After the crane creates a concrete block tower around it, we know that the system is fully charged. A total of 20 megawatt-hours (MWh) can be stored in that tower, powering 2000 Swiss homes for a whole day.

Few Renewable Energy Solution Providers (First Solar, Helios Energy, Aditazz )

Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.

Energy vault plants can function for over 30 years with almost no fade capacity and maintenance, cutting costs by using off-the-shelf commercial hardware. But, the concrete blocks are the most expensive part of this system. Thus, Pedretti unwrapped a different solution. Instead of using costly concrete, collecting building waste or gravel, mixed along with cement creates low-cost concrete blocks.

Check Out: Energy Tech Review

 

More in News

Benefits Of Solar With Battery Energy Storage.

For most businesses, the final measure of success is profitability. Companies need to carefully manage their expenses while keeping their prices attractive to their customers to achieve optimal profit goals. It's a cautious balancing act that requires a high degree of business expertise. One of the crucial factors that impact the profitability of a business is operational expenses — expenses in carrying out an organisation’s day-to-day activities. The most considerable overhead expense for many companies is their electric utility bill. This isn't going to change. Energy is getting more expensive every year! Offset your uprising operational expenses with commercial solar battery storage Energy costs will not lower; they have already started going up. On top of that, businesses face higher payroll costs and extra expenses. It's time to seek ways to offset and take control of these uprising operation costs. Does your business face the following issues? • Rising electricity bills: The utility companies have modified their most expensive hours from day to evening. This means that electricity costs more between 4 pm and 9 pm, which can also be the engaged time for many businesses. The electric solutions utility cost can increase as much as 10% yearly. ‍ • Rising payroll expenses: For many businesses that hire minimum wage employees, staffing costs will nearly double, and for few, it already has had an adverse effect. Profit margins will keep on eroding. ‍ To be cost-efficient, businesses need to look for a solution that helps them lower their operational costs to maintain level prices for their customers. Battery energy storage system to save money. If your business embeds commercial solar without solar battery storage, the extra energy you produce is gone to the grid. Solar modules generate the most energy during sunny daylight hours, usually between 11 am and 3 pm. The problem is that many businesses consume more energy during evening hours. Using solar battery storage, you can store the excess energy you produce during the day and employ it in the evening when energy expenses are higher. It can also be stored, credited, and utilized during the summer months when air conditioning usage and the summer cost are highest. Here's precisely how solar energy storage works: 1. Energy production: Your commercial solar produces energy during the day, sometimes as much as 12 hours, with peak production between 11 am and 3 pm. 2. Battery charging: Extra energy generation that's not used by the business during the day is used to charge the solar batteries. 3. Bank extra power on the grid: After the batteries have been fully charged, excess energy is diverted, recorded, and stored in the utility grid for later utilization by your business. 4. Battery use: In the evenings, after the solar generation subsides, and when energy consumption and utility costs are high, you will exploit the energy you stored before in your batteries. 5. Take from the grid: Since the batteries are timely used, you can begin to use any extra power you banked before from the utility grid. 6. Energy cost savings: By using solar and battery storage, you can save more money on your electric bill each month and have more control over current and future cost increases. Check Out This:  Data Integration Solution   ...Read more

Unfolding the Broader Insights about Solar Energy

By adding value to the non-renewable energy paradigm, solar technology powers industries with carbon-free heat. Not limiting its offerings to the field of electricity, solar energy is now making strides in the industrial area. Serving various industries such as fuel, chemical, manufacturing, mining, power plants, and the like, innovative solar energy optimization technique has tremendously transformed the legacy use cases of this form of energy. Heat being the primary input for the industries, the global economic situation finds steam and thermal resource generation challenging. This is where solar energy comes into the frame. Solar energy  has seen the latest photovoltaic (PV) innovation explosion. Industries are highly relying on photovoltaic energy panels for thermal resources. Meeting the ever-growing industry demand this advanced thermal solution has considered being cost-effective and efficient. By capturing sunlight, the panels intensify the energy of the sun to generate heat and further, with the help of a condenser, they produce massive volumes of steam. In this way, PV-based solutions overtake traditional fossil fuel resources. GlassPoint Solar’s potential application is another significant development in the arena of solar technology. This application model works by allowing the sunlight to boil the water resources and generate heat and steam.   Energy Tech Solution Companies:  Advantech ,  Centric Energy Systems ,  Contemporary Energy Solutions Emerging solar technologies are capable of readily producing steam and heat at huge rates to help the industrial processes. Reducing harmful gas and chemical emissions, cutting time and costs, and scaling up production, high-tech industrial solar utility opportunities contribute to industrial process optimization. Analysts and technologists recommend increased usage of non-renewable energy sources, and in this context, solar energy seems to be the perfect solution. Many surveys state that due to many deployments and installations of renewable energy-based production units, multiple global coal and other plants are shut down. Hence, there is a drastic move toward adopting trending solar energy technologies.   Check this out:  Top Energy Tech Solution Companies ...Read more

Utilities Waste Management: A Path to Sustainability

Utility waste management helps reduce the risk of disease outbreaks and keeps communities cleaner and healthier. Utility waste management is essential for ensuring cleanliness, sustainability, and health in communities around the world. As civilizations grow and urbanize, waste generation increases, making efficient waste management and disposal more important than ever. Waste management entails collecting and disposing of trash while also combining recycling, composting, and treatment methods that reduce environmental effects. Effective utility waste management is crucial in modern civilization because it protects the environment, improves public health, conserves resources, and provides economic benefits. Utility waste management is essential for its role in protecting the environment. Improper waste disposal can devastate ecosystems, land, air, and water. During that time, they break down into microplastics that can enter food chains and water supplies, posing significant ecological risks. The improper disposal of hazardous materials—such as chemicals, batteries, and electronics—can lead to soil and water contamination. Toxins from the materials can leach into the ground and waterways, disrupting ecosystems and potentially entering drinking water supplies. Improper waste disposal can result in harmful air pollution. Burning waste in open areas or incineration facilities without adequate controls can release toxic substances, such as dioxins and particulate matter, into the atmosphere, affecting air quality and respiratory health. Waste management is crucial in resource conservation through recycling and composting programs. Many commonly thrown-away materials—such as plastics, metals, glass, and paper—can be recycled and reintroduced into the production cycle. Recycling metals reduces the need for mining, an energy-intensive and polluting process. The practices contribute to a more sustainable use of resources and minimize waste's environmental footprint. Effective utility waste management can offer significant economic benefits. The recycling industry creates jobs in sorting, processing, and selling recyclable materials. Sometimes, selling recycled materials can generate revenue for local governments and waste management companies. Investing in waste management infrastructure, such as modern landfills, recycling facilities, and waste-to-energy plants, can create long-term economic benefits. Utilities waste management plays an essential role in climate change mitigation. Waste management systems help reduce methane emissions by diverting organic waste to composting facilities and reducing reliance on landfills. Waste-to-energy technologies capture the energy stored in waste and convert it into electricity or heat, providing a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. They also reduce carbon emissions and support the global transition to renewable energy sources. Utility waste management is critical beyond simply collecting and disposing of trash. It is vital for protecting the environment, safeguarding public health, conserving resources, and promoting economic sustainability. ...Read more

Satellite Imagery for Water Resource Management

Water is one of the vital element for sustaining life on the planet. Despite the abundant presence, fresh water is available in minimal quantity. Due to the growing population in environmentally sensitive areas the world’s new water supply is critically stressed. Water management acts as a solution, but it requires diverse, accurate data promptly. Collection of data by conventional means may prove unfruitful, costly and resource intensive. But today firms are leveraging earth observation technologies such as satellite-based monitoring. This method is proven to be very useful covering large and remote areas with systematic, repetitive data captures. Achieving water security and increased resilience to hydrological extremes needs a sound understanding of water resources dynamics. This knowledge can only be based on data and observations, and it is the foundation for managing water optimally and efficiently in economic and social terms, as well as with regard for environmental impacts and downstream users. Satellite remote sensing is increasingly being used as a complementary source of information. Satellite‐based sensors are now capable of making direct and indirect measurements of nearly all components of the hydrological cycle including precipitation, evaporation, lake and river levels, surface water, soil moisture, snow, and total water storage. Satellite remote sensing also represents a critical source of information in regions with limited networks and where information on hydrologic conditions is not accessible. Landsat satellites and SPOT satellites are used for water-related applications, but the introduction of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based satellites have revolutionized the work in water mapping and management. Accurate Digital Elevation Models (DEM) are being developed to assist in determining water flows and flooding potential. NASA is conducting an exciting water management experiment named GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment), a pair of satellites which collects data to determine the surface mass, total water storage and derived variables. Satellite remote sensing plays a crucial role in water resources management with current and future advances promising to transform the field and support sustainable development even more in years to come. Few Water Management Companies:  Clean Water Technology , SAYA Life , Wiseconn ...Read more

I agree We use cookies on this website to enhance your user experience. By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. More info

Utilities Tech Outlook
Follow on LinkedIn

About

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Partner With Us

Stay Connected

  • Subscribe
  • Newsletter
  • Sitemap

Contact Us

  • editor@utilitiestechoutlook.com
  • sales@utilitiestechoutlook.com
  • marketing@utilitiestechoutlook.com

Legal

  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

© 2026 Utilities Tech Outlook. All rights reserved.

This content is copyright protected

However, if you would like to share the information in this article, you may use the link below:

www.utilitiestechoutlook.com/news/a-concrete-plan-to-save-planet-earth-renewable-energy-restored-nwid-230.html