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“At the time of the modernization tender, energy use
was very much in the public eye, especially for high-
profile commercial businesses like SKYCITY,” explains
Terry Viccars
, Business Manager New Equipment and
Modernisation Solutions, KONE New Zealand. “With this
elevator modernization, the elevator energy consumption
has been reduced by half. Now, the owners can move
materials around the tower in a faster and more efficient
way, and the visitors don’t have to wait for too long to
travel to the upper levels.”
Winds of change
As the tallest man-made structure in the southern
hemisphere, Sky Tower is also built to withstand winds of
up to 200 km/hr. Even so, winds can be strong enough
to close the tower a few times a year. But with KONE
UltraRope, elevator downtime caused by building sway
can potentially be reduced as carbon fiber resonates at a
completely different frequency than steel and most other
building materials.
“The former service company had to send someone up
the tower to take measurements on building sway. Our
automated solution cuts elevator speed by half when wind
speed is high. If wind speed exceeds safe limits, the elevators
will automatically park at a safe floor,” explains Viccars.
With safety, speed and eco-efficiency all improved, visitors
to the Sky Tower can now look forward to an improved
user experience, while for SKYCITY, happier customers and
improved people flow leads directly to increased revenue.
FAST FACTS
Sky Tower at SKYCITY
n
Completion: 1997
n
Modernization: 2015
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Height: 328 m
n
Building owner:
SKYCITY
Entertainment Ltd
KONE Solutions
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3 KONE ReGenerate™ 800
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KONE Polaris™Destination Control System
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1 KONE Long travel ReGenerate™
800 service elevator
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KONE UltraRope™ technology
n
KONE ReNova™
n
KONE ReVive™
SUMMARY
Challenge
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Every second of downtime is directly related to lower
visitor volumes at this iconic entertainment complex
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Eco-efficiency was a vital consideration for SKYCITY
as a company strongly focused in protecting
the environment
Solution
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KONE UltraRope to speed the service elevator
and improve people flow
n
A substantial weight reduction helping with
energy efficiency
n
Building sway detection technology automates
speed and a previously manual process