Trends in the construction industry and in corporate social responsibility are converging simultaneously, making retrofitting an attractive option for building and facility managers. Aging buildings from the 1980s are beginning to need upgrades and renovations in order to stay competitive with newer, green buildings. Cities with high construction growth in the 1980s—such as Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami—now have buildings and building technologies that are more than 20 years old. It is estimated that 50 percent of elevators operating in the U.S. today are at least 20 years old, costing additional money to maintain and repair and causing inconvenience to tenants.
During the last 20 years, a number of new safety codes and standards have been developed and—considering at least 50 percent of the installed elevators are at least 20 years old—this leads to a great opportunity to bring outdated equipment up to today’s codes and standards for improved end user safety.
Furthermore, when considering the payback of retrofitting a building, it is beneficial to conduct a lifecycle cost analysis to see the comparison of different options and identify the best long-term investments which offer the lowest overall cost of ownership. Lifecycle cost analysis identifies which high-performance building systems will save money over the life of a project, despite their higher initial cost—allowing the owners to invest in long-term performance.
The benefits of retrofitting
The payback period for elevators and escalators can be lengthy. However, through typical retrofits, the facility owner or operator can achieve enough savings in overall energy use over the lifetime of the equipment to pay for the investment. If the owner or operator is looking to modernize for other reasons—such as safety, aesthetics, performance, etc.—then this is the ideal time to evaluate the new energy efficient technologies that are available today.
Today’s elevator technologies are more efficient and environmentally friendly than ever before. Although people step on to elevators and escalators every day, they rarely give thought to the energy and mechanics that go into building transportation. An old elevator can consume anywhere from 2 to 10 percent of a building’s energy consumption and negatively impact its sustainable footprint. Some modern elevators can consume less than half as much energy as one built 20 years ago and reduce a building’s greenhouse gas emissions by up to 36 percent compared to a hydraulic elevator. This is definitely an area the industry must address when looking at overall building efficiency.
Additionally, retrofitting has lasting effects on buildings by bringing them up to date, up to code and increasing their valuation. Green retrofits raise a building’s visibility and marketability—making them more competitive against newer construction. Successful green retrofits can also result in a higher valuation of a building, through energy savings and increased rents.
Green building appeal
Green building is a significant predictor of tangible improvements in building performance and those improvements have considerable value. Studies have shown that certified green buildings command significantly higher rents. A University of CaliforniaBerkeley study analyzed 694 certified green buildings and compared them with 7,489 other office buildings, located within a quarter mile of a green building in the sample. The researchers found that, on average, certified green office buildings rent for 2 percent more than comparable nearby buildings. After adjusting for occupancy levels, they identified a 6 percent premium for certified buildings. The researcher calculated that at prevailing capitalization rates, this adds more than US$5 million to the market value of each property.
Making buildings more comfortable and productive for their occupants has special significance in light of studies conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which found that people in the U.S. spend, on average, 90 percent of their time indoors. Occupants of green buildings typically have significantly greater satisfaction in such areas as indoor air quality and lighting than occupants of conventional buildings. Case studies show that these benefits can translate into a 2 to 16 percent in workers and students productivity. Even small increases in productivity can boost the value of the building.
The importance of upgrading
Elevators and escalators are one of the most commonly used pieces of equipment in a building and, at times, are one of the first things a tenant may see or use. It is for this reason that it is critical to ensure the equipment is running efficiently, safely and is aesthetically pleasing. Building tenants can benefit from improved reliability, performance and safety of new elevator equipment while enjoying the updated aesthetics as well.
When thinking about upgrading an elevator or escalator system, it is important to analyze all of the needs first. This saves time and money. In many instances, a needed small upgrade to an elevator or escalator can lead to additional opportunities for more improvements to the unit. Multiple upgrades at once can be combined into one project—rather than inconveniencing building operations with more projects down the road. Doing this can be more cost effective and utilize all the best technology to reap energy savings. FMJ
Case study: condominium modernization project
The following synopsis of an existing condominium modernization project exemplifies the issues today’s facility owners and operators face. It illustrates how the Summit Chase Condominium board brought their building transportation up to code, how it has and will continue to save money in the long term and how planning ahead will help avoid the inconvenience of future upgrades.
A complete elevator system upgrade
The members of the Summit Chase Condominium board had a simple problem—they needed to upgrade the fire service recall system in their elevators. The upgrade would include two passenger elevators and one service elevator used by the 178 families who call the 24-story building their home. The project team saw beyond this initial need to envision a solution that not only solved the immediate problem, but also created better overall service and efficiency in the long run.
The challenge
Before meeting with the Summit Chase Condominium board, the members of the project team dedicated themselves to learning more about the board’s unique situation. After touring the building, team members noticed the Summit board’s service elevator was slow—a major inconvenience for residents. The team examined the board’s current system and discovered that the wiring was old, brittle and badly in need of replacement. The doors were also old, noisy, slow and clunky. Additionally, the system itself was powered by an outdated traction machine using an inefficient worm reduction gear design, which uses significantly more power and requires more money to operate than current state-of-the-art gearless machines.
Proposed solutions
After getting to know the board’s needs, the team made its recommendation. It was proposed that the board replace the current elevator system with a modern, turnkey solution that offers innovative gearless technology for a smoother, faster and more efficient ride. The recommended solution, powered by a unique hoist, offers up to 40 percent energy savings over conventional systems. The proposal also included a facelift to the look of their elevators to enhance the overall appeal of the building. The proposal further recommended updating the buttons and fixtures to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act height standards. The final piece of the proposal was to provide smoother door operation.
To help demonstrate the power and efficiency of the solution, the project team took the presentation out of the board room. The team didn’t just ask the client to go on blind faith. Instead, they showed the board exactly how the proposed system worked, how it would save them money and provide better service by visiting the site of a similar installation—giving the board’s leading decision maker an up-close view of the proposed gearless system. The team then held a question and answer session to answer all questions and outline multiple scenarios to demonstrate the various kinds of solutions available.
Realizing the ROI
Because all these individual upgrades were combined into a single project employing more cost effective technology, the team offered a solution that would enable the Summit Chase Condominium board to save money in the long term and avoid the inconvenience of future upgrades. In the end, the proposal offered the best return on investment and addressed the client’s future needs as well as the problem at hand.
