ESPOO, Finland, July 28, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- KONE, an innovative
leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has become the very
first company in its industry to reach the A class energy rating
from the VDI 4707 classification rating for its KONE MonoSpace(R)
elevators*. The A class rating is the best rating that can be given
under the VDI 4707 classification standard. Customers will be able
to order elevators meeting the VDI 4707 classification in the
fourth quarter of 2010.
The VDI guideline is a European-based code of practice which was
established by the Association of German Engineers (Verein
Deutscher Ingenieure) and is now used mainly in Europe but also in other countries around the
world.
"This significant achievement solidifies our leading position in
the design and production of energy-efficient elevators," says
Heikki Leppanen, Executive Vice
President, New Equipment Business, KONE Corporation. "We are very
proud of reaching this important milestone and it will only serve
to drive us forward in our search to reduce the energy consumption
of buildings worldwide. It is also important for our customers to
know that highly efficient drive technology is now available for
many standard applications, both for new projects and for
modernizations."
KONE used innovative technologies such as regenerative drives,
standby solutions and LED lighting to drastically reduce the energy
consumption of its elevators. The use of these innovative
technologies in KONE's elevators has played an important role in
KONE's ability to reduce the energy consumption of its elevators.
In 2008, KONE announced that it would reduce the energy consumption
of its volume elevators 50% by 2010, compared to the previous 2006
volume model. In 2009, KONE launched a global range of elevators
that achieved a 30% reduction in energy consumption for its
elevators. Later this year, KONE will complete its target set in
2008 by further reducing the energy consumption of its volume
elevators by an additional 20%.
KONE is also focusing on the ongoing development of standards
such as ISO/DIS 25745, Energy Performance of Lifts and Escalators,
which will define globally agreed criteria for measurement and
comparison between different technologies and products in terms of
energy consumption.
Additional details on the energy efficiency of KONE's elevators,
compared to the VDI 4707 standard, can be found on page 30 of
KONE's Corporate Responsibility Report
(http://www.kone.com/corporate/en/responsibility/Pages/default.aspx).
To learn more about KONE's eco-efficient solutions, visit KONE's
Corporate Responsibility section on
www.kone.com/sustainability.
*Energy efficiency class provided by TUV at KONE's training
center in Germany under optimized
conditions.
About KONE
KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator
industry. The company has been committed to understanding the needs
of its customers for the past century, providing industry-leading
elevators, escalators and automatic building doors as well as
innovative solutions for modernization and maintenance. The
company's objective is to offer the best People Flow experience by
developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move
smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in
an increasingly urbanizing environment. In 2009, KONE had annual
net sales of EUR 4.7 billion and
approximately 34,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on
the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd in Finland. Founded in 1910, KONE celebrates its
centennial anniversary in 2010.
http://www.kone.com