Intelligent elevators and escalators are increasingly being used to enhance building performance, with demand being driven by regulations, environmental consciousness, and cost-saving initiatives.
Innovative solutions to vertical conveyance as well as energy efficient design and the implementation of new technologies – such as regenerative drives and intelligent control systems – can help buildings lower carbon footprints and reduce operational costs, enabling organisations to ensure compliance with stricter emissions regulations.
Vertical transportation is one of the main reasons high-rise buildings consume more energy than low-rise buildings, typically a difference of between 5 and 15 per cent, which is enough for energy efficiency measures to have a substantial impact. Elevators account for an estimated 2 per cent of global energy use.
At the same time, the Centre for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan found that elevators alone accounted for 10 per cent of the energy use in residential buildings. Others estimate it at between 2 and 5 per cent of a building’s total power consumption, but during peak operational times this can be as high as 50 per cent. A study conducted by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that the use of more energy-efficient elevators could dramatically reduce building operating costs.
However, it also found that the information necessary to help building owners identify the appropriate elevator system for their building, along with the savings, was not readily available, resulting in many building owners installing expensive energy-inefficient systems.
The ACEEE study noted that current lift technology could reduce the total energy consumption in buildings by 40 percent or more, simply by minimising power use between trips or when the elevator is not in use.
Market research firm Technavio estimated the global elevator and escalator market was set to grow by US$90 billion from 2025 to 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 10 per cent during the period.
Growth is driven primarily by infrastructure development in commercial establishments, high-speed metro systems, and the construction of new buildings.
Another significant source of demand is economic growth which creates a need for vertical conveyance systems in offices, shopping malls, residential apartments, and healthcare facilities.
The global smart elevator segment was projected to grow by almost US$5 billion from 2024 to 2028, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of nearly 7 per cent.
This is a result of higher demand for modernisation and new deployment in high-rise as well as low- and mid-rise buildings. Core to the significant growth in the smart elevator market is the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, enabling the collection and analysis of elevator data in the cloud in comparison to historical data from the supplier’s database.
Analysis of this data can predict potential component failures, saving time and money on repairs and making it a significant factor for growth.Data-driven elevator systems also adopt real-time operational insights and visual safety based on computer vision and artificial intelligence technology to enhance the safety performance of vertical transportation.
With the use of destination management software, passenger wait times can be reduced while using only about half the energy required to operate conventional systems.
This type of intelligent system can be supplemented with smart sensors, allowing elevators to detect the presence of people and adjust their speed accordingly, resulting insubstantial energy savings.
Modern vertical transport solutions feature a range of cost-effective innovations – such as lightweight steel rope and regenerative elevator drives – that maximise energy efficiency.
Traditional steel ropes can only travel up to a height of about 500 metres due to the weight of the ropes, as well as being subject to other high-rise risks and challenges such as building sway.
Innovations around lifting mechanisms and rope have led to new carbon fibre-based hoisting technologies that eliminate the disadvantages of traditional steel rope, such as heights ofup to one kilometre and other external factors.
Sustainability can be further advanced by vertical transport solutions that utilise renewable energy sources and are made with material from recycled components.
New electrified regenerative braking systems have also been developed, which can be retrofitted to older buildings to modernise their system, improve elevator safety and energy efficiency, and gain the benefits of a lower carbon footprint without substantial structural modifications.
Regenerative drives recover the energy of inertia when an elevator is braking instead of releasing it as heat, providing energy savings of 20 to 35 per cent. They also reduce the temperature in the machine area and ease the burden on the building’s cooling system.
While operational costs are a major motivator for reducing energy use, it is also important to consider the embodied carbon that results in the manufacture, transportation, installation and disposal of elevators.
The World Green Building Council define embodied carbon as the emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout the lifecycle of a building.Steel is the primary material used in elevator manufacture, and despite being infinitely recyclable, only about 60 per cent of steel is recycled. About 40 per cent of all steel products produced are from recycled steel.
Recycled materials can also be used for various components inside elevator cabins, such as walls, flooring, and handrails.For example, recycled glass can be used for wall panels, reducing the need for new glass production. Reclaimed wood or bamboo can also be used for flooring.
Much of an elevator itself is also recyclable, with the steel ropes applicable for a range of applications, including a zoo enclosure and as fish netting.