Turn mass and height into energy.
Test the first physics of gravity storage: how much energy a raised mass can return, and what power that energy implies over a chosen discharge duration.
What can mass and height deliver?
Gravity storage turns a controlled descent into electricity. Energy rises directly with both raised mass and vertical height; efficiency converts that ideal potential into a first-pass delivered-energy estimate.
Advanced assumptionsEarth gravity by default
Gravity defaults to 9.80665 m/s² and can be adjusted above. This potential-energy estimate does not size motors, generators, cables, brakes, structural loads, cycle life or site civil works.
The gravity battery formulas
Gravity storage is direct potential energy. Lifting a mass places energy into a height difference; lowering it through a motor-generator returns part of that energy as electricity.
What changes a gravity-storage result
- Raised mass
- More moving mass increases stored energy in a straight line. Tonnes are convenient for first-pass civil and mechanical scale checks.
- Vertical height
- Each additional metre adds the same amount of potential energy. Deep shafts and tall structures are the key site constraint.
- Round-trip efficiency
- Motors, generators, gearboxes, power electronics and mechanical losses mean a real system returns less energy than the ideal potential.
- Discharge duration
- Duration does not change stored energy. It sets the average power the system must deliver while the mass descends.
Reference scale: 1,000 tonnes of raised mass
| Vertical height | Ideal potential energy | Delivered energy at 80% efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 272 kWh | 218 kWh |
| 300 m | 817 kWh | 654 kWh |
| 500 m | 1.36 MWh | 1.09 MWh |
FAQ
How do you calculate gravity battery energy?
Use E = m × g × h, where m is mass in kilograms, g is gravitational acceleration at about 9.81 m/s², and h is vertical height in metres. Divide joules by 3,600,000 to convert to kWh, then apply system efficiency for delivered energy.
How much energy does one tonne lifted by one metre store?
At ideal efficiency, one tonne raised by one metre stores about 0.002724 kWh, or 2.724 Wh. Large gravity systems therefore need a great deal of mass, vertical height, or both.
What is the difference between energy and power in gravity storage?
Mass and height determine stored energy. Generator capacity and discharge duration determine power. The same stored energy can be released quickly at high power or more slowly at lower power.
Does this tool estimate real project cost or feasibility?
No. It is a first-pass physics estimate. Real projects must account for mechanical equipment, structural loads, friction, generator and motor limits, cable runs, civil works, safety systems and site economics.
Test the constraints behind gravity storage.
Read about energy density, mechanical power and real site constraints before treating a potential-energy number as a deployable design.