Did you know that the Clarkson Tower elevators are among the busiest elevators in the state? That may seem surprising, especially if you had ever ridden one of those elevators yourself. They were old and in need of replacement — a project that now has been completed.
The technology used to run elevators has changed dramatically, so the new equipment is more efficient and requires less energy to operate.
The biggest energy savings comes from a lack of cooling. The old elevators were run by a generator that was inefficient and produced a lot of heat. Subsequently, the rooms where the generators were housed got hot and then required facilities to use a lot of energy to cool the rooms — which made the elevators even more inefficient.
The new equipment will cut out the generators that ran the elevators and eliminate the need to constantly cool the rooms for proper operation. This is how the new elevator system will save on emissions and costs.
The cars themselves already had LED lighting installed, which keeps the inside of the car cooler, reduces maintenance costs and saves energy.
In total, these changes, though primarily made for safety, will save the med center more than $2,300 each year. That number may not change the world, but it adds up over time. Changes like this across campus will help the med center reach its Net Zero Building Emissions goal by 2030 and, more importantly, help reduce pollution in our area that leads to climate change and harms human health.
Speaking of health, when appropriate, consider taking the stairs. It increases your physical activity, burns calories and is usually quicker if you are only going a floor or two. Taking the stairs when possible also saves additional energy/emissions and allows the elevators to move patients/visitors more quickly, giving them a better experience.
To continue to track UNMC’s progress on the sustainability metrics, check out our dashboard. You can see progress on all sustainability goals there, including emissions, and learn about current and upcoming projects that impact those goals.