Lifts can consume between 5 to 15% of a building’s electricity consumption, drawing significant power as they take passengers to the chosen floors. Surprisingly, the standby period accounts for a high percentage of a lift’s power consumption.
Advances in elevator technology meant high-rise buildings can now transport occupants vertically with greater efficiencies; saving energy, money and time all at the same time.
One solution fast becoming a favourite is the transit management system, with Schindler’s PORT or Personal Occupant Requirement Terminal leading
the way.
“PORT is an evolution of technology developed by Schindler back in the 1990s. The most important thing it does is group passengers going to the same or nearby floors together into the same lift. The time it takes to reach your floor is greatly reduced as there are lesser stops along the away,” explains Simon Kirk, Chief Executive of Jardine Schindler Group.
The fewer stops also meant that each lift will be able to complete its round trip much faster than a conventional lift, thereby improving passenger handling efficiency and potentially reducing the amount of lifts a high-rise building would typically need.
“By making full use of each lift, you end up with a more efficient lift system,” says Kirk.
With transit management system, you just need to swipe your ID card at a PORT terminal, then the computer will immediately tell you which lift to wait for. A system which utilizes ID cards has the benefit of stringent access control, heightening security.
So how much energy can a building expect to save with PORT compared to a conventional system? “The International Commerce Centre (ICC), a 118-storey tower in Hong Kong which uses the system extensively throughout the building, has seen a 12% energy saving in its entire elevator system,” Kirk reveals.
Lifts with traffic management system is set to become the standard in towering skyscrapers worldwide, with Kuala Lumpur included. In fact, PORT will be officially introduced in Malaysia towards the end of this year.
Private home lift, a rising trend
More and more property developers are building bungalows and even semi-detached houses with lifts, and this can be attributed to fulfilling the needs of an ageing population that require the ability to move around the house freely. The affordability of lift systems plays a part in this fairly recent trend, too.
“A few years ago, only the very rich would consider having a private home lift. Nowadays, people are finding that a lift can be an affordable solution to issues on mobility and accessibility at home, especially for the elderly,” remarks Kirk.
