Reducing energy consumption in the elevator
The issue of energy has been one of the most important issues in various industries for a long time, therefore the issue of energy in the elevator and escalator industry also faces challenges and causes questions such as:
Does the rate of energy reduction differ with the type of technological advancement? Pros and Cons of Retrofitting Elevators for Energy Efficiency Elevator energy consumption can be reduced in many ways, including using more efficient AC motors and regenerative drives, but this goal is not always a priority.
Most facility managers, when looking for opportunities to reduce energy consumption in their buildings, first look at lighting, heating and cooling systems. According to the officials of the United States Department of Energy, this is an understandable approach, because these lighting, heating and cooling systems; In total, they account for more than half of the energy used in commercial buildings.
While elevators make up a small part of the energy consumption of commercial buildings. According to a research in North America; Commercial buildings consumed 17.9 quadrillion (1) primary energy thermal units in 2009. Saving a small percentage of this amount can save a tremendous amount of energy.
A variety of energy-saving measures can significantly reduce the energy consumption of elevators. Some experts believe that “the elevator industry has been working on energy efficiency long before the term green”. AC Power One of the most important advances in elevator technology has been the steady movement over the past few decades from direct current to more efficient alternating current elevator motors.Prior to the 1990s, elevator systems relied on DC power because it was easier to control the acceleration, deceleration, and stopping of the elevator with this type of power.
As a result, AC power is usually limited to freight elevators, where comfort and speed are not as important as passenger elevators.
However, in the late 1990s, more elevators were equipped with AC motors. Motor control technology has now advanced to the point where it can effectively regulate AC power to provide smooth acceleration, deceleration and stopping. There is no need to convert AC power to DC power and then use a DC lifting device.Almost all elevators that are available today use synchronous motors (AC), permanent magnets. Accordingly, “they are very efficient.” And today; Some manufacturers offer induction machines without an AC gearbox.
Almost all elevators that are available today use synchronous motors (AC), permanent magnets. Accordingly, “they are very efficient.” And today; Some manufacturers offer induction machines without an AC gearbox.
Today’s technologies can not only reduce the energy consumption of the elevator, but also return energy to the building network. With the use of new technologies and new drives, both an empty cab up and a full cab in motion do not use all the available power.
Regenerative drives transfer excess energy to the power supply of the vertical transport system and the building. It is also estimated that these drives can increase energy savings by 10%. Regenerative drives can cost anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, according to most consultants.
Although these pieces of equipment are not cheap at the moment, drives make up a small percentage of the total cost of an elevator renovation, which can easily reach six figures.
source:https://iseei.net/
The electronic publication of Iran Elevator and Escalator Industry Syndicate
No. 8 and 9 (August – September 2021)
