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Elevator Energy Use

Determining Elevator energy use can be very challenging.

Elevator energy use is strongly dependent on many factors:

• Number of people in an elevator
• Elevator Type, Hydrolic, Machine room-less, Geared
• Number of stops/starts going up or down
• Stanby losses
• Programming (Does the elevator return to ground floor when unattended?)
• Capacity of the elevator in hp engine size
• High speed vs. normal speed elevator
• Freight or passenger type 

Notes on Elevators

• Hydrolic elevators commonly don't travel more than 2-4 floors.
• Energy recovery systems have less energy impact on short trips or in short distance elevator shafts.
• Geared is very common.
• Service or Freight elevators are commonly hydrolic if the shaft meets the hydrolic space and max height requirements.
• Elevator motor rooms are commonly atop the shaft with climate control to prevent overheating of motor and controls.  Temperatures can range from 41F to 104F, often max temperature is only allowed to be 90F.   Higher than 90F is known to cause a greater risk of failure.   Others recommend temperature ranges only from 50F to 90F.
• Most existing elevator rooms have a 400-700 cfm exhaust fan, most new construction elevator rooms have a small split system for climate control.
• Depending on local building codes, elevators commonly are accompanyied with an emergency generator.  
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Case studies of elevator energy use:

• Notes on Elevator use from Fat Knowledge<broken link><alternate link>
• "Elevators use about 5% of a building's electricity use"  from American Council of Energy Efficient Economy

Non Interactive Energy Simulation Tools: 

• Kone Elevator consumption calculator
• Car Shipping car shipping transporting your car.