Modeling the aggregated power consumption of elevators – the New York city case study

Abstract

This paper proposes a bottom-up framework for modeling the aggregated power consumption of a fleet of elevators. The paper has two aims: enhancing the research related to the power efficiency of elevators and providing modeling methods and analytical concepts for load modeling of elevators from the perspective of power systems and urban energy systems. As a case study, the paper simulates the total aggregated power consumption profile of elevators in New York City during a weekday and weekend day. Furthermore, the paper provides methods for expanding the analysis to other regions and cities which lack detailed background data of elevator installations. The results imply that elevators consume more than 1% of the annual electrical energy in the city, while the hourly ratio has more variation, typically between 0.5% and 3% of the total power demand. Additionally, the quantity of elevators required to be modeled or measured from a random set to attain credible predictions of the total aggregated power consumption of the elevator population depends on the applied time resolution.