My friendship with Millicent Coil dates back to my early years in Lawrence, Kansas. Life took us in different directions after high school, as life tends to do, with Millicent pursuing a career in mechanical engineering in the aerospace and automotive industries, while I packed my bags for Washington, D.C., to work in government affairs.

Our paths crossed once again when Millicent moved back to Kansas. We caught up on our respective journeys and revisited memories. We also discussed my job and Millicent’s role at my alma mater, the University of Kansas, where she serves as an Associate Professor of the Practice in the School of Engineering. She shared that in addition to teaching courses, she also leads the Capstone Design program. The Capstone Design course provides students the opportunity to work with real-world, interdisciplinary challenges proposed by industrial and research project sponsors.

I was immediately intrigued and wanted to see if there was a way for NEII to collaborate with the KU Capstone Design program. I loved the idea of engaging students to address an industry issue but was not quite sure what would constitute the most appropriate project. But I knew Kevin Brinkman, NEII Senior Director of Codes, and the NEII Central Code Committee (CCC) would have ideas.

The energy efficiency of elevators has been a hot topic for many years, but for far too long, building owners and managers chose to focus solely on heating, air conditioning, and lighting. But recently, the focus has shifted to one of the biggest energy consumers in a building – the elevator.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHARE) partnered with NEII to discuss the energy efficiency of elevators. The work initially involved evaluating the efficiencies of lighting and ventilation in elevators and has now transitioned to the actual operating drive system for the elevator. But in an effort to provide consistent energy measurement across multiple elevator manufacturers, the industry needed a universal web-based tool that was intuitive and easy to use.

Enter the energy calculator…and enter Millicent. Millicent, Kevin and I framed a project, and her Capstone engineering students began working on the energy calculator last year. Work is nearly complete, and we plan to unveil this new tool in the coming months.

NEII’s collaboration with the KU Capstone Design program has been a great success. And the development of an elevator industry energy efficiency calculator tool could not be coming at a better time as the world increasingly struggles with climate- and sustainability-related issues.

The theme for Earth Day this year is ‘Our Power. Our Planet.’ NEII is helping the building transportation industry take better care of our planet by taking better control of our power. And it all started with a sustainable friendship that turned into an energizing partnership.

Happy Earth Day 2024!

As many of you know, my professional career started with a focus on environmental and energy policy issues when I was a congressional liaison at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C. While at EPA, I managed toxic substances, Alaska-specific challenges, the Kuwaiti oil fires, and emergency response federal policy efforts. I then went to the National Association of Homebuilders with a position as Legislative Director for environmental issues and continued working on these important matters. And since, throughout my career, I have continued to engage in work to make a meaningful impact on our environment.

My job with the elevator industry is no different. Environmental impact and energy efficiency is now part of the larger sustainability discussion, and buildings – including building transportation – play a key part.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the buildings and construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for a staggering 37% of global emissions. Historically, much of the sector's progress has centered around reducing the "operational” carbon emissions of buildings – those emissions stemming from heating, cooling, and lighting. Projections suggest that these operational emissions will decrease significantly in the coming decades. However, solutions to mitigate the buildings "embodied" carbon emissions originating from the design, production, and deployment of materials and services have lagged.

NEII’s member companies are incorporating sustainability goals and practices throughout all aspects of their respective businesses, including in products and services, governance, and supply chain management. The industry’s respective goals vary based on company, with some setting a goal of being carbon-neutral by 2030 while others seek to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Net-zero global emissions goals also vary from 2040 to 2050 depending on the organization. 

While the goals and corresponding dates can vary, the mission uniting the elevator industry is the same. Here’s a glimpse at what NEII members are doing to protect our environment and slow global warming:

• Membership in RE100 (Renewable Electricity) initiative
• Zero waste-to-landfill certification
• ISO 14001 for all U.S. facilities
• Electric vehicle deployment
• Fleet management enhancements
• Local material source and hub distribution to reduce energy and transport emission
• Membership in Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance
• Carbon-neutral maintenance services
• Energy-efficient elevators
• Gearless motors and more energy-efficient drives
• Sustainable building design through technology
• Logistics optimization
• Prioritization of waterway and railway transportation over air freight
• Supplier location
• Improving packaging materials and process
• Upgraded recycling efforts

It is important on Earth Day especially and every day that we think about our impact on the world around us. Each person, each company, and each organization plays a role in the fight against global climate change. Even if you think your contribution is only one drop in the proverbial ocean, why not just make a few small changes because you never know the impact you could have. And for NEII, we are doing the same. We have added sustainability to the list of our priority issues and will be considering what we can do as a collective group of industry leaders. Once we identify the steps we can take, I hope the entire elevator industry will join NEII and its members to make a difference for generations to come. 

By Amy Blankenbiller, Executive Director, National Elevator Industry, Inc.

The year 1970 had no shortage of drama. The Beatles broke up. There was the Apollo 13 non-moon-landing mission. And there was the invasion of Cambodia that led to fatal student protests. The decade that gave us disco and the Brady Bunch got off to a rocky start to say the least. But one U.S. Senator was doing something positive and taking a small but significant step in a fight very few people at the time even realized we should be fighting – the fight to save the planet.

In the spring of 1970, only five days after the Apollo 13 crew safely landed in the Pacific Ocean, Wisconsin Senator (and later Governor) Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day to draw attention to the urgent need for environmental legal and regulatory intervention. At the time, there was no Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act. There wasn’t even an Environmental Protection Agency; the EPA would not commence operations until December of 1970.

And it all started with one special day: April 22.

When Senator Nelson initiated Earth Day, approximately 20 million Americans supported it, according to Earth Day Network. Today, more than 1 billion people worldwide participate in Earth Day activities. This year’s theme is “Invest in our Planet,” something the building transportation industry is taking to heart.

In the upcoming issue of Elevator World, NEII Vice President for Government Affairs, Phil Grone, emphasizes that decarbonizing the built environment is an urgent need that is recognized at all levels of government, with key climate-change actions being taken across the federal and local levels. These efforts include municipalities requiring buildings to significantly reduce their carbon emissions by a certain date or face stiff penalties, as well as the Biden Administration requiring buildings owned by the Federal government to cut energy use by 30 percent by 2030.

The building transportation industry is playing a key role in achieving these objectives. Manufacturers and suppliers are committed to reducing emissions from owned or controlled sources, indirect emissions from power and heating and cooling sources, as well as other indirect emissions that emanate from other parts of the supply chain.  

Elevator and escalator companies across the U.S. are focusing on their vehicle fleets, incorporating hybrid and electric vehicles and optimizing vehicle routing for service calls. The industry is also improving sustainable manufacturing, including sourcing renewable energy to support those facilities. As a sector that contributes to both manufacturing and industrial capacity and to the built environment, members of the industry have established a number of important goals between 2030 and 2050 that, when achieved, will contribute significantly to the improvement of the environment and in addressing climate change.

Everyone has a part to play in our success and in the improvement of the environment. Individual and industry action matters. Every contribution is vital. Reflecting on the first Earth Day over five decades ago, the progress we have made, and the objectives we need to achieve, one question should be top of mind—what are you doing to invest in our planet?