elevator question

I understand LEED will not support specific brands or products. The types of technology I'm referring to are offered by all the main elevator leaders in the world.

I did get my LEED Green Associate certification, but I'm a little hazy when it comes to specifics. I'll give you an example of a project I'm working on.

We plan on using traction elevators with regenerative drives. The drives alone are 40% more energy efficient than the conventional machines. Also, they are able to regenerate power factor 1 energy back into the building's power grid. In addition to those, we are using a new dispatching technology that ultimately reduces the amount of elevator usage and trips.

With this particular situation, can these elevators (I'm guessing overall energy savings compared to conventional) help us in the overall project's E&A targets?

Thanks!

As I see the LEED system elevators is included in the total energy for the entire building. If you uses example VDI 4707 (Europe calculation) for calculation the energy, you can see how much the elevators using.

If you have a lift example:
Load 1350kg
Speed 1,75 m/s
Travel 31 m

Without regenerative convert, it’s using 11,540 kw/hours at 1 year.
Width regenerative converter, it’s using 6,987 kw/hours for 1 year.

You save about 35 %, but you have to look at the energy for the total building.

If you will get you point from reward energy, you have to see at total, e.g. solar cell.
If you have 4,553 kw/hours reward energy from the elevator, and it gives you 2.3 Kwh/sq meter reward energy.

This example gives you 4% On-Site reward energy; you get 2 points from the elevator.

If you get 6% reward energy for solar cell and 4% from elevator, you can get total 5 points at On-Site reward energy.

(One elevator can give reward energy equivalent to 25-75 sq meter electrical solar cell)

Sorry my blog is on Danish, martinlohse.blogspot.com but you can use Google translate.

Martin Lohse – El Design
DK-Denmark.

Tak Martin!

Looks like we just need to get those energy numbers for the regen drives for the project. Thank you guys!

I have a project where we will attempt to claim credit for efficient elevators via Exceptional Calculation Methodology. We have strong evidence to suggest the less efficient elevator is standard practice for this client and other similar facilities in our area. We've obtained energy savings through a manufacturers online energy calculator. We obtained first cost investment numbers also from the vendor. Overall there has been time and effort to ensure this building will use the more efficient/expensive elevator system. I think that should fetch a few percentage points on our LEED model cost savings??

I was hoping to find someone on here that has gone through this same situation?

Stay tuned!

Greg Garcia
PE - Energy Engineer
801.278.1927 x111

Dustin - Do you have any updates on your submittal? My project is installing regenerative elevators and the energy modeler is looking for guidance on how to document that savings. Thanks!

I am working on my thesis for Sustainability in Elevator industry, but am not able to find any relevant books on the subject. Please send me link of the resources, if you have, on this subject which can help me in my dissertation. Thanks.