By Liz White, UT staffFarmington, Connecticut-Elevator manufacturer Otis Elevator Co. claims to be the first elevator company to get the China Environmental Protection Foundation's Green Product Award. Otis's Gen2 elevator system, using polyurethane belts and no machine room, won the firm this recognition. Gen2 elevators are based on flat, polyurethane belts and a gearless machine, which requires no lubrication, so storage, cleanup and disposal of hazardous waste is eliminated, the firm said. The elevators are driven by low-inertia, permanent-magnet, gearless machines with variable-frequency control. This makes them "50 percent more energy efficient than conventional elevators," said Otis, since the energy loss that occurs in traditional geared systems is eliminated. "We are pleased to continue to support China's sustainable development policy by providing products that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly," said Otis president Ari Bousbib, in a company release.Otis-a unit of United Technologies Corp.-has also just announced that it is to install 46 elevators and escalators, featuring its Gen2 and Elevonic elevator systems, for the second phase of Beijing Fortune Plaza in China. The US-based firm is already supplying equipment for the first phase of the project. In total, Otis will supply 90 units with a contract value of $9 million. Beijing Fortune Plaza will cover 720 000 sq.m, with five high-rise buildings including a 257-m high main building, Total investment in the development, covering office space, luxury apartments, a 5-star hotel and conference and arts centres, is $740 million. Other Gen2 systems have been installed in major projects such as the Christ the Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Zhangjiang Industry Park in Shanghai, China; a subway line in Tianjin, China; Shanghai metro's mass transit line 6 in the Pudong District; and La Finca in Madrid, Spain."
