Kone Inc. recently unveiled a new elevator system that is improving energy efficiency at the historic Emily Morgan Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The ReSolve with Unity Drive™ control system cuts electricity use in half and enhances service by providing improved passenger-handling capacity and modern controls.
December 28, 2007 - Energy Efficiency
Kone Inc. recently unveiled a new elevator system that is improving energy efficiency at the historic Emily Morgan Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The ReSolve with Unity Drive™ control system cuts electricity use in half and enhances service by providing improved passenger-handling capacity and modern controls.
“This is an excellent example of how today’s sustainable technology can be utilized in older buildings,” says Vance Tang, president of Kone. “Green building concepts are not just for new construction.”
The elevator renovation project called for the installation of Kone LCE logic controls, as well as the Kone jointly designed Magnetek Quattro™ DC regenerative drives. The project began in May 2007 and was completed in November 2007, with each elevator being taken off-line individually to avoid disruptions and ensure normal hotel operations.
As part of the overall renovation, extensive measurements were taken to determine energy consumption, electrical efficiency and peak electrical use before and after the renovation. With the new system in place, testing data showed a significant reduction of 45.7 percent in watt-hours, a 78 percent reduction in volt-amp hours, and a 31 percent reduction in high-cost, peak-demand charges, which indicates lower energy consumption and increased efficiency.
As part of community greening efforts, San Antonio City Public Services offered a commercial energy rebate program for 2007. Kone worked closely with the hotel to ensure the new system would be in place and the hotel was eligible for the rebate. As a result of the elevator renovations, the hotel will receive almost $17,000 in rebates for 2007.
“With Kone, it’s not just about getting a project done and moving on,” Tang says. “We’re committed to the ideal of providing industry leading products and services and working with our customers to create energy efficient systems that will be sustainable over the long term.”
