Otis Elevator Company, a unit of United Technologies Corporation, launched a major global environmental program Feb. 8th called The Way to Green. The program is designed to extend to every aspect of their business — from design and manufacturing to products and end-of-life recycling.

The Way to Green is designed to significantly boost the companies’ commitment to environmental protection and sustainability while reducing energy consumption and offering the finest performance.

By introducing this program, the company will encourage environmental awareness to 60,000 of its employees, customers, suppliers and business partners making them aware of environmentally sensitive practices.

Eiffel Tower Otis blog 2011, Flickr, Moonlightbulb

They are the world’s largest manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products — including elevators, escalators and moving walkways. More than 200 countries use Otis Elevator Company and over 1.7 million elevators and escalators are being maintained worldwide.

If you have never heard of them, think about the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building; the Eiffel Tower; the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Los Angeles International Airport. All of these places have elevators installed by this company.

Products:

The line of Gen2 elevator systems feature regenerative drives that reduce energy consumption by up to 75 percent compared to conventional systems.

The Gen2-coated steel belts and machines require no additional lubrication, and LED illumination is standard, lasting up to 10 times longer than conventional fluorescent lamps. An automatic switch-off mode saves up to 80 percent wasted energy.

Otis escalators and moving walkways reduce energy consumption by up to 60 percent, an efficient, automatic lubrication system reduces annual oil usage by up to 98 percent versus conventional systems, and LED lighting options are up to 30 percent more energy efficient.

Manufacturing:

Otis implements processes that recycle 97 percent of industrial waste produced by Otis facilities.

water otis blog 2011, Flickr, Snap

The manufacturing facility in Madrid uses solar panels to generate about 60 percent of the site’s energy needs.

The TEDA Manufacturing Center in China has achieved Gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Advanced technologies in use at this location reduce energy usage by at least 25 percent compared to conventional design and manufacturing methods.

Otis facilities have reduced water consumption by 12 percent by optimizing conservations through rainfall collection, recycling and the use of water-efficient fixtures.

More than 200,000 Gen2 elevator systems — covering a wide range of applications — have been sold to date, making it the fastest selling product in Otis company history. The Way to Green has taken “going green” to a whole new level.