Mitsubishi Electric has developed a multi-lift control technology that, it claims, can cut energy consumption by up to 10% compared to existing elevator systems.

Currently, most multi-lift control systems involve a trade-off between passenger convenience and energy saving, because they focus mainly on cutting passenger waiting times, which can increase energy consumption.

With the new smart control technology, when someone pushes a lift button, the system chooses the lift that best balances operational efficiency and energy consumption. The choice is based on each elevator’s potential energy consumption, depending on its current location and passenger load.

The system also predicts congestion levels throughout the day to maximise operational efficiency and minimise energy consumption. For example, during the morning, evening and lunchtime rush hours, it prioritises operational efficiency, but during off-peak hours, it prioritises energy efficiency. In the latter case, the average waiting time in a typical office building will be no more than 1–1.6 seconds longer than the current average period of 20 seconds, so passenger convenience will hardly be affected.