Are Elevators “Green”?

Back in 236 B.C.E there was Archimedes who hooked some pulleys to a big wooden box and began to pull, thus creating an elevator! Created from locally sourced and produced materials, his person- powered invention is the distant ancestor of new eco-friendly elevators used all around the world today.

 It is estimated that buildings consume about 40% of the worlds energy while elevators consume between 2% and 10% of the buildings energy use. Elevator manufacturers are lifting up in order to get those numbers down.   

 What aspects of an elevator make it “green”? Obviously, energy consumption is key, but the materials, technologies and processes are just as important. There are also other factors like the HVAC systems, interior paints, control panels, flooring, and lighting that can affect energy consumption as well. All of these aspects can contribute points on a buildings overall score for the LEED accreditation by the U.S. Green Building Council. This is how major elevator producers are addressing these design elements. 

 No More Machine Rooms

 In the mid 1900s machine-room-less technology was a huge advance for elevator design. Elevators went from having costly rooftop machine rooms to miniaturized MRL machinery that can fit into the elevator shaft itself. Therefore, saving a lot of room and energy. When incorporating a gearless traction design, machine room less elevators can use up to 80% less energy than hydraulic lifts!  Plus, the added bonus of not having to deal with the expense and annoyance of oil filled hydraulic cylinders. 

 Regenerative Drives

 Green elevators don’t only reduce energy consumption, they can also give back the energy they take. Regenerative drive systems are responsible for recovering energy that would normally dissipate heat. Not only does this save money for machine-room cooling but it also helps produce power for air conditioning and lighting. 

 Control Features

 According to physics, an elevator with not many passengers will require more energy. This is due to the weight differential between the elevator itself and its counterweight. A goal of green elevator technology is to cut down the light loads using precision traffic control and management of other energy burning factors. Computer systems help to reduce the number of light load rides while, at the same time, making sure there are enough elevators to ensure fast service. 

 Going Green Outside the Box

 Energy saving can happen in more places than just the shaft. Some companies include external factors that can also lower the overall carbon footprint across an elevator’s life cycle. Customers can assess different elevator vendors and their manufacturing facilities and notice if a company has remote monitoring technologies that can help for early detection of mechanical problems. Elevators won’t ever be as eco-neutral as they were back in the days of Archimedes but, elevator technology is certainly moving up in the right direction.