Page 7 - Green Builder Magazine March 2015 Issue

Going Up: New Rating System for Elevators? 5

A new report from a national organization focused on energy efficiency PHOTO CREDIT: ELEVATOR RESCUE

Efinds opportunities for improving efficiency of elevators and escalators. www.greenbuildermedia.com 03.2015
LEVATORS AND ESCALATORS can comprise 2
to 5 percent of the energy used in buildings, and
up to 50 percent during peak operational times.
According to a report published by the American
Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE),
the technology exists to reduce consumption by 40
percent or more, through strategies such as reducing standby
power between trips, replacing cable ropes with coated steel
belts, and using dispatching software that reduces wait times.
However, without a standard way to measure energy
savings and/or ratings that distinguish more efficient elevators,
building owners may be unaware of the benefits of choosing
or upgrading to a more efficient system. Consequently, the
study lays out a framework for setting common standards for
measuring elevator efficiency. This could lead to a rating system,
similar to Energy Star, and could prompt energy utilities and
government agencies to offer rebates for efficient models.
Programs such as LEED could also potentially include elevator
efficiency as a factor in certifying buildings. (Right now, LEED
considers elevators a part of unregulated “process loads,” and world’s largest manufacturer of “people-moving” products.
there are no direct credits for installing more efficient systems.)
ACEEE’s study was published with support from UTC Download the report at
Building & Industrial Systems, parent company of Otis, the http://aceee.org/research-report/a1501

Solar Job Forecast Still Sunny
The Solar Foundation’s latest census
shows the solar industry enjoyed a National administrator CREDIT: DOE
growth rate of 22 percent last year.ust released, The Solar Foundation’s annual National
Regional training providers
Solar Jobs Census shows the solar industry’s explosive
growth is creating thousands of new, highly skilled jobs Colleges, technical high
schools, labor training
Jthroughout the country. As of November 2014, the centers and mobile
solar industry employs 173,807 workers, representing a training units
growth rate of nearly 22 percent over the previous year.
Solar instructors
Here are a few key findings from this year’s census:
■■ Solar employment has grown by 86 percent in the past Students trained
*September, 2014
five years alone.
■■ One out of every 78 new jobs created in the U.S. over the that will prepare transitioning service members for potential
employment in the solar industry. Participants are guaranteed
past 12 months was created by the solar industry. interviews with up to five U.S. solar companies during the
■■ The solar industry is adding workers at a rate nearly 20 training period.
Source: DOE
times faster than the overall economy.
■■ Minorities, women and veterans represent a larger portion

of the solar workforce than ever before.
The Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative supports this
growing workforce by providing critical training programs for
solar professionals. Most recently, the Solar Instructor Training
Network launched a pilot program at select military bases