TK Elevator's Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC) in Atlanta achieves LEED Gold certification

• The recognition reinforces TK Elevator's commitment to building sustainable facilities and manufacturing environmentally friendly elevators in North America.
• In addition to the IQC, the adjacent Corporate Headquarters building – part of TK Elevator's new North American headquarters in Atlanta – also earned LEED Gold certification.
• The carbon-reduction initiatives implemented at the IQC reinforce TK Elevator's commitment to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050.

ATLANTA, April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TK Elevator's Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC) featuring the tallest elevator test tower in North America has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Created by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

The IQC is the second TK Elevator building in the U.S. to earn this prestigious distinction. In 2015, TK Elevator's North American manufacturing headquarters in Middleton, Tennessee, earned LEED Gold certification. While the Middleton facility earned this distinction in the Existing Buildings category, the IQC was recognized in the New Construction category.

"At TK Elevator, we understand that our environmental commitment must extend beyond simply manufacturing the most sustainable mobility solutions. Sustainability has to be embedded in all aspects of our business – from the vehicles TK Elevator field technicians drive to the buildings TK Elevator employees work in every day. The IQC truly embodies the future of our industry and the built environment, and we are very pleased to receive this designation," said Kevin Lavallee, CEO BU North America and Group COO Field.

To achieve LEED Gold certification, the IQC realized a 12% reduction in embodied carbon compared to typical construction through concrete mix optimization – using ground granulated blast furnace slag and fly ash. This approach saved 2.36 million pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions. The IQC achieved more than a 40% reduction in potable water use compared to baseline buildings through the selection of efficiency flush and flow fixtures that will save 60,000 gallons of water annually.   

The IQC utilizes a Smart Building metering system, which fully integrates specialty equipment such as HVAC and lighting. The Department of Energy estimates that a building employing this system can realize up to 45% energy savings as the elevators put power back into the building with regenerative drives, reducing the energy load of elevators.

In addition, TK Elevator prioritized the materials used throughout the IQC, installing products that were produced with a high recycled content, reducing the need for raw materials and ensuring natural resources could be preserved. This includes using carpet comprised of recycled PET plastic, flooring tile verified to have the lowest global warming potential among comparable products, as well as finish materials tested and proven to have low VOC emissions, contributing to a healthier indoor air quality. TK Elevator's own products also complied with many of the materials credits as its elevators boast the industry's first Health Product Declarations (HPDs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) focused on environmental and human health.

"The material health of elevators has long been a priority for TK Elevator, and today we are keenly focused on lowering operational and embodied carbon in our pursuit of net-zero carbon. In North America, the IQC will serve as a symbol of the built environment's healthier future, and we are excited to earn this rare achievement for our industry," added Monica Miller Brown, LEED AP BD+C, Senior Sustainability Manager for TK Elevator.

The IQC was designed by Gensler, a global architecture, design and planning firm with a portfolio that saves more than 17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted on a yearly basis.

"The IQC's resourceful and resilient design demonstrates tremendous leadership within the industry," said Gensler Principal John Haba, AIA, LEED Green Associate. "The decision to prioritize themes of transparency and sustainability while maintaining a passion for innovation is what has made the IQC a standard for others to emulate." 

TK Elevator has taken substantial steps toward addressing climate change and carbon reduction in North America. This includes joining the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact, an inclusive and collaborative initiative focused on galvanizing climate action in Georgia. Created by the Ray C. Anderson for Sustainable Business at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, the Compact's mission is to leverage the collective impact of Georgia's business community to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the state by 2050, which aligns with TK Elevator's own organizational goals. TK Elevator is also a member of materialsCAN, a program committed to acting on the smart, sustainable prioritization of embodied carbon in building materials as well as driving a better understanding of the carbon footprint of projects across the industry.

To learn more about TK Elevator and its commitment to creating healthier, more sustainable solutions, go to https://www.tkelevator.com/us-en/.

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Dennis Van Milligen
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TK Elevator North America
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TK Elevator (formerly: thyssenkrupp Elevator)
With customers in over 100 countries served by more than 50,000 employees, TK Elevator achieved sales of around €8 billion in the fiscal year 2020/2021. Over 1,000 locations around the world provide an extensive network that guarantees closeness to customers. Over the past decades, TK Elevator has established itself as one of the world's leading elevator companies and became independent since its separation from thyssenkrupp AG in August 2020. The company's most important business line is the service business represented by over 24,000 service technicians. The product portfolio covers commodity elevators for residential and commercial buildings to cutting-edge, highly customized solutions for state-of-the-art skyscrapers. In addition, it also consists of escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts. Integrated cloud-based service solutions, such as the MAX platform, are gaining in importance. With these digital offerings, there are no limits to urban mobility anymore. TKE – move beyond.

SOURCE TK Elevator