As building owners try to improve energy efficiency and maximise ratings under schemes such as NABERS or BREEAM, many are turning their attention to ageing building services and infrastructure. Lifts are no exception, but when performance, reliability or compliance become concerns, there are options besides a complete replacement. Here, Brian Preston, global business manager – elevator at CP Automation, explores how a ‘renew not replace’ approach to lift modernisation can deliver significant performance and efficiency improvements while reducing costs, disruptions and environmental impact.

When faced with an ageing lift, the default response for many building owners is to consider a complete replacement – everything, including the cabin, guide rails, motors, ropes and control panels. As lifts age, increasing maintenance costs, obsolete controls and evolving safety standards can make older systems appear uneconomical to retain.

While installations will inevitably reach the end of their service life, many lifts contain core mechanical components, such as geared or gearless machines, that are still perfectly capable of delivering reliable operation. In these cases, replacing the entire system can mean discarding valuable assets unnecessarily. Instead, upgrading the controller, drive system, doors and other elements can often deliver the same benefits as a new lift while avoiding the cost and disruption of a full replacement.