With increasing concern about gas consumption and fossil fuel emissions from cars and trucks on our roads, we should also consider the need for greener, more energy-efficient vertical transportation within our buildings and cities.
After all, more than half the world’s population currently lives in cities–and that number is expected to hit 70% by 2050.*
- Elevators consume 2-10% of a building’s energy
- 30% of that energy is used inefficiently or unnecessarily
So how is the elevator industry responding to being more energy efficient and green? In new construction, there are new technologies and techniques that reduce energy usage – from rethinking the design and construction of elevator shafts to the directions that elevators travel.
Here at Allied Elevator, we’re focusing on Modernization that enables older buildings to realize the full potential of energy efficiency. Modernization can give a real boost to EnergyStar ratings and BOMA 360 certifications, which are important to property managers competing for the coveted BOMA TOBY award.
In addition to winning awards, bringing old equipment up to modern efficiency and safety standards helps building owners and managers achieve new levels of operational efficiency, and get many more years of reliable, more energy-efficient service from their equipment.
If modernization isn’t on the table, there are some targeted component upgrades and services that will improve energy efficiency and your elevator’s performance and longevity. These include soft starts, regenerative drives, and oil reconditioning, to name a few. These upgrades are forward compatible with modernization later, so your investment is preserved.
And if you’d like to learn more about how your building’s vertical transportation can go green, talk to us at Allied.
For more information about the international BOMA TOBY program and locally, BOMA Philadelphia’s TOBY Awards program, please visit these sites:
BOMA Philadelphia TOBY Awards Program
If you’d like to learn more about Energy Star and BOMA 360, visit these sites:
For more info on how the vertical transportation industry is going green, here’s an enlightening article from The Smithsonian
*Elevators Are Going Green, Adrienne Bernhard, Smithsonian magazine, 4.27.2018
