How Elevators are Wasting Energy for Your Building

Every high-rise building must install an elevator. This is a requirement by ADA (Americans with Disabilities) Act of 1990. The federal law was enacted to stop discrimination against people with disabilities by private entities.

Elevators account for up to 5% energy use in buildings and this can easily go up to 15% during peak hours. While many ideas on saving energy have come during energy summits, none of them has focused on energy efficient elevators.  In this guide we discuss how elevators waste energy for your building and measures you can take to stop the wastage

Hoisting

Hoisting is the mechanism that is used to pull the elevator up. Hoisting can either be hydraulic or traction. Hydraulic lifts use more energy, are expensive to maintain, and use cable ropes. This is an old technology mostly found in elevators manufactured in the 1990s.

Traction hoisting is a new technology that uses coated belts and counter weights, is affordable to maintain, and will save you money in the long run. Traction also efficiently cuts down the amount of time between floors.  Replace your old hydraulic elevator with the traction lift.

Idle Time

Elevators are left running even when not in use, this wastes a lot of energy. According to ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy) improved controls, which are inexpensive, help save energy by turning off ventilation systems and lights when the elevator is not in use. You can also save energy and money, especially in residential building, by shutting down the elevator during off-peak hours.

Lighting

Though lighting does not hog a lot of energy in elevators, replacing older model bulbs with LED bulbs will be a smart money-saving move. This will cut power use. You can also get LED push buttons.

Destination Dispatch

Elevators waste a lot of energy by having stop at every floor. Destination dispatch involves pressing the floor number while outside the elevator. This system is efficient because it groups and delivers people in an efficient manner.

At any given time there over 1 million elevators in operation and half of those are hydraulic. Most of these elevators are over 20 years and therefore nearing their end of life. Though elevators don’t use a lot of energy, the costs will eventually add up.

You can check the energy efficiency through smart tracking. You can also hire a skilled consultant to check the energy efficiency and to make improvements where needed.