Press release

10.20.2020

thyssenkrupp Elevator publishes an Environmental Product Declaration for its evolution low- to mid-rise elevator

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• An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is an assessment of the environmental impacts of a product over its life cycle as verified by an independent third-party
• thyssenkrupp Elevator was the first elevator company to publish an EPD and has now published four EPDs
• Introduced in August 2018, evolution machine-room-less elevators feature speed, capacity and travel combinations unlike anything available today

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ATLANTA (October 20, 2020) – thyssenkrupp Elevator has published an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its evolution low- to mid-rise elevators in accordance with ISO 14025. An EPD is an assessment of the environmental impacts of a product over its life cycle that is verified by an independent third-party.

The life cycle assessment of the machine-room-less (MRL) evolution elevator encompassed the environmental impacts of the product starting with the raw material extraction of the components used to manufacture the evolution elevator through the manufacture, transport, installation and use phases. The assessment then ended with the eventual recycling and disposal of parts.

thyssenkrupp Elevator was the first in the industry to publically disclose its environmental impacts in accordance with the Product Category Rules of the International EPD® System for its endura MRL elevator as well as its synergy and momentum elevators.

“By publishing this EPD for our evolution elevator, we are once again demonstrating our commitment to creating a cleaner, healthier future by using products and materials that have been critically reviewed for environmental impact and are applying that information to improve our future products,” says Kevin Lavallee, President and CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator North America.

One of the strongest drivers of environmental impacts for elevators is the energy consumption from when the elevator is in use, and thyssenkrupp Elevator continues to make strides toward lowering the energy use of its elevators. The evolution elevator, for example, consumes less energy than traditional elevators. A regenerative drive is standard on the evolution 200, which captures unused energy produced by the elevator and feeds it back into the building grid. It also switches to standby mode when not in use, reducing the controller’s energy consumption. In addition, automatic fan and light shutoff can reduce cab energy use by up to 90 percent, while the evolution elevator also features Cradle to Cradle Material Health Certifications. Material health certificates and EPDs count toward two important LEED v4 credits around product transparency.

Introduced in August 2018, the evolution elevator has quickly become a fixture in many high-profile buildings under 350 feet, including Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, which is home to Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers as well as the Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.

“Prioritizing green building transportation systems is not only critical to ensuring the health and safety of tenants, visitors and staff inside a building, but it is also vital to the environment outside of the building as well,” says Liz Minne, Environmental Program Manager with thyssenkrupp Elevator North America.

Minne, along with colleague Monica Miller Brown, previously discussed the latest vertical transportation trends impacting sustainable urbanization at Greenbuild 2019, the largest annual event for green building professionals worldwide.

thyssenkrupp Elevator has firmly distinguished itself in the world of elevator sustainability by becoming the first elevator company to retrofit existing elevators to achieve net-zero energy. thyssenkrupp Elevator was also the first elevator company to prioritize material transparency, publishing a Health Product Declaration as well as meeting or exceeding the most stringent industry standards, including Cradle to Cradle, the Living Building Challenge and LEED.

thyssenkrupp Elevator is also the first and only elevator company with Declare labels as well as Bronze and Platinum Cradle to Cradle Material Health Certificates. On top of that, thyssenkrupp Elevator discloses ingredients in its cabs and entrances down to 1,000 ppm per its Health Product Declaration, all manufactured in its LEED Gold certified facility in Middleton, Tennessee.

Earlier this year, the Middleton manufacturing facility was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Plants Program with a 2020 Better Project Award for reducing natural gas consumption on its structural paint line oven by 35 percent. The initiative also resulted in a startup time decrease and more than $31,000 in annual energy savings.

Last month, thyssenkrupp Elevator joined the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance (CEVA) as it pursues the electrification of its fleet in North America.

For more information, go to https://www.thyssenkruppelevator.com/Sustainability/materialtransparency.

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