Comparative Analysis of Elevator Energy Consumption by Building Height : A Study Based on VDI 4707-1 and On-Site Measurements

Purpose: This study aims to quantitatively analyze the Energy Performance Gap between standardized elevator energy calculation methods, such as VDI 4707-1, and actual measured values, and to identify the key factors causing this difference. Standardized methods have limitations in accurately reflecting the unique, dynamic operational conditions of actual buildings, which can lead to significant discrepancies. Method: Theoretical energy consumption was calculated for four office buildings of varying heights (low-rise to super-tall) based on the VDI 4707-1 standard. These results were then compared with measured, real-world consumption data from prior research. A model calibration was performed by adjusting VDI parameters to match actual building conditions, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the impact of key variables on total energy consumption. Result: The analysis revealed that the standard VDI calculation can overestimate actual energy consumption by more than 17 times, but this prediction error can be significantly reduced through model calibration. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis confirmed that as building height increases, the influence of ‘travel energy factors’ becomes overwhelmingly greater than that of ‘standby energy factors’. This suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach is inadequate for elevator energy assessment, and the process of calibrating standard models with site-specific data can significantly contribute to establishing effective, building-specific energy-saving strategies.