Colorado Real Estate Journal -
With urban populations in the United States growing faster than any other demographic, and the U.N. World Urbanization Prospects report projecting that 60% (4.9 billion) of the world’s population will live in cities by 2030, space in the modern American city has never been at a higher premium. As more and more people funnel into urban areas, the only place left to build is up. But how can a building accommodate increases in population without increasing waiting times for elevators and impacting energy consumption? The answer is technology. Destination dispatching, first introduced in 1992 by Schindler Elevator Corp. with the Miconic 10® system, replaced the traditional “up and down” call buttons in the hallway with a keypad that allows the passenger to input his destination before he ever enters the elevator. By prompting passengers to choose their destination before entering a car, the elevator could group and sort passengers with like destinations, resulting in fewer stops, less wasted energy and greater up-peak handling capacity. The end result was that fewer cars could now move more people. The next-generation technology, Schindler ID, utilized an advanced algorithm that could instantly calculate the optimal elevator arrangement based on the number and variation of calls at that moment in time. Schindler ID also introduced RFID card reader technology to elevator systems, further enhancing the idea of personalization in the elevator experience. Passengers identified themselves through a personalized badge or ID card that is programmed with individual details about the passenger. Not only did these advanced systems know where a passenger needed to go based on their ID card, they also knew who the passenger was and personalized the trip accordingly. Now, with the introduction of Schindler’s PORT Technology in 2009, the latest advancements are specifically designed to provide facility managers with significant overall energy savings of up to 30% over conventional systems, as well as a simple and intuitive user interface for this complex technology. The PORT Technology helps meet environmental challenges with features such as a touch screen; a proximity sensor that operates in low energy mode when not in use; an ambient light sensor that determines the necessary brightness level for the illuminated screen; and an even greater ability to streamline traffic flow during peak periods of heavy use. Because the PORT system learns and adapts to the specific traffic patterns of each tenant and the building as a whole, it can provide unparalleled service by helping predict user needs before they arise. Systems like the PORT can account for the off-peak periods that can put a strain on resources. Using a specialized Energy Control Option (ECO), which defines the average acceptable passenger waiting time for a building, the system places unnecessary elevators into standby mode and, in some cases, sleep mode when wait times fall below the specified level. One of the most important features of the PORT system, however, is that it has the ability to integrate seamlessly with any elevator system, regardless of original manufacturer. This provides facility managers a unique opportunity to upgrade their elevator systems virtually overnight, with no interruption in service for tenants. As facility managers continue to seek to meet the latest sustainability demands, their tenants and the bottom line, the elevator system will undoubtedly play a key role in their ability to provide comfortable and productive environments for their occupants. From the ICC Tower in Hong Kong and the prestigious The Crescent in Dallas, Texas, to office buildings and hospitals of all shapes and sizes around the world, PORT Technology is evolving to keep up with pace of the urban environment. Necessity truly is the mother of invention, and while we may not know exactly what the future holds, we do know that destination-dispatch will lead the way.