Energy Models for Lifts - Determination of Average Car Load, Average Travel Distance and Standby/Running Time Ratios

Lifts are essential for the operation of a building and contribute to its energy burden. They use energy in one of three main modes: standby (when the lift is dormant), running (when the lift is moving) and idle (when the lift is between standby and running modes). The proportion of time taken in each mode, and hence the energy consumed, depends on many factors including: type of building, traffic patterns and technology used. This paper gives data for these time proportions for a specific installation by means of simulation tools, based on a set of buildings. In addition, other important parameters are presented to enable accurate estimations of energy usage to be determined.