Renovation Wave

Unlike the U.S., many cities in Europe have buildings that are more than 1,000 years old. According to the classical texts, Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it 2,773 years old, though real archaeology says it’s even older than that. Ancient buildings were built to last with no idea of planned obsolescence. Europe has many old cities where the building stock continues to age, and these older buildings will likely still be in use in 2050 when Europe hopes to be carbon neutral. More than 75% of the building stock is energy inefficient and likely to get worse before it turns the corner. The European Union (EU)’s “renovation wave” will play a key role in upgrading or repurposing existing buildings to make them more energy efficient.

The “renovation wave” is part of Europe’s Green Deal for greening buildings, creating jobs and making lives better. It aims to at least double the annual energy renovation rate by 2030, and, in addition to reducing emissions and creating green jobs in the construction sector, which is dominated by local businesses, it will improve overall living standards for Europeans. Construction in the EU is responsible for 28% of global carbon emissions from building operation, and 11% from materials and construction. Construction stakeholders are increasingly recognizing the need to move beyond the greenhouse gas emissions generated from the use of buildings and to adopt a life-cycle perspective in which emissions embedded in construction materials are addressed. Many European countries are using recovered construction and demolition materials in a recycling aspect. 

Appropriately, this issue we focus on Environmental Issues. We offer three articles on the topic.

• “Moved by What Moves People.” TK Elevator publishes its third sustainability report, further advancing its ambitious sustainability targets.
• Magic Cotton Wool by Lindsay Fletcher. Zaberwatte®, developed by Stingl, absorbs everything that is lighter than water, aiding in oil cleanup in the lift industry.
• A Field Study on the Damage of Elevators After the Twin Earthquakes by Ferhat Çelik, C. Erdem Imrak and Sefa Targit. This study of the recent earthquakes that have hit Türkiye assesses the damage caused and what needs to be done to prevent such damage in the future. We cover far-flung events in this issue, as well. 
• CTBUH Europe 2024 Takes Place in Istanbul by Bülent Yılmaz. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat explores the issues, challenges and opportunities facing global cities – density, climate resilience, social equity and accessibility.
• More Than Just A Showcase by Vijay Pandya and Sheetal S. Patil. Held in Bangalore, India, the inaugural Smart Lift & Mobility World exhibition was an international event that combined the elevator industry with real estate and architecture. 
• Lift Expo Algeria 2024 by Yılmaz. Algeria needs 20,000 elevators a year and manufactures none of its own. It is supplied mainly by Spain, Türkiye and China.
• Economy of Kazakhstan and The Second Lift Expo Kazakhstan Fair. The lift industry is growing in Kazakhstan, and 70 companies exhibited there. Their primary suppliers are Russia and China.

Our features this issue cover a wide range of the industry’s equipment: cable cars, escalators and a boat Lift.

• Escalators for La Losa. The Green Walk in Oviedo, Spain, is a 38,000-m2 deck. TKE replaced the escalators recently to increase mobility.
• The Jewel of the Dam. A Czech company showcases a unique boat lift on the Orlická Dam. Used mostly for sporting crafts, the design comes from EL-VY spol. s.r.o.
• Santorini’s Special Charm by Carmen Maldacena. This piece include beautiful photos of the Doppelmayr cable car that takes visitors up the rugged mountains on the Greek island.

This issue is full of material especially selected for our friends in Europe. Enjoy! And let me know your thoughts at ricia@elevatorworld.com.