Harmonised standard EN 81-20 has been in force since 2017. It stipulates minimum requirements for the safety of lift users in the lift car and people working in the lift shaft or machine room. To ensure an adequate and constant supply of breathing air, appropriate ventilation for the lift shaft is required for normal conditions, for stops for longer than normal and if the lift car malfunctions. The minimum opening required by predecessor versions of EN 81-1 and EN 81-2 (1 % of the area of the lift shaft base) is no longer appropriate for the ventilation of lift systems in properties with ever greater airtightness specifications as it does not comply with present-day technological standards for ventilation.

Instead of regulating the complex set of ventilation problems by means of normative requirements, EN 81-20 points out, in the information in Appendix E.3, that the safety and well-being of people using the lift, working in the shaft or, if the car is jammed between two floors, trapped in the car or in the shaft, are particularly dependent on the following factors:

• Ambient shaft temperature in the building
• Volatile organic compounds, CO₂, air quality
• Supply of fresh air in the shaft
• Humidity, dust, smoke
• Airtightness of the shaft and the whole building

In practice: The BlueKit system contributes significantly to observance of the requirements contained in Appendix E.3 for the safety and well-being of lift users.

NB/L REC 02/027 is a Recommendation for Use. Based on the Lift Directive, it recommends calling for action on the use of ventilation systems in lift shafts. According to NB /L REC 02/027, a ventilation system in a lift shaft is:

• Part of the building's ventilation design
• Not separate from the lift because it contributes to the safety of lift systems
• Not to be used for any purpose other than ventilating the lift shaft

In practice: The BlueKit system meets the provisions of NB /L REC 02/027 for a ventilation system in a lift shaft.

With the EU ETS2 (European Emissions Trading System 2), the European Union is creating another central milestone for achieving its overarching goal of climate neutrality by 2050. The new mechanism is intended to contribute to the effective implementation of emission reductions in sectors that have been less regulated to date.

As part of the European Green Deal, the EU ETS2 supplements existing regulations and anchors CO₂ certificate trading more firmly in the climate policies of member states. The principle: those who emit CO₂ must purchase certificates for it – the price of these certificates is determined by supply and demand. The slower the transition to CO₂-reducing measures, the higher the demand and thus the price.

While compensation mechanisms are expected to moderate price developments until 2030, scientists predict high CO₂ prices for the period thereafter. For consumers and businesses, this means rising costs for fosil energy sources.

In practice: BlueKit systems can help to significantly reduce the energy costs of buildings. The more expensive CO₂, the greater the economic incentive to invest in modern ventilation concepts and optimised energy flows.

The EPBD makes it clear: the future of non-residential buildings in the EU is digital and energy-efficient. From 2030, all non-residential buildings with a nominal power of more than 70 kW for building technology systems must be equipped with a building automation system.

Using tools such as the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI), the EU will assess how well a building can respond to user needs and be operated efficiently in the future. Indoor air, temperature comfort, lighting and acoustics are becoming increasingly important in legislation.

BlueKit already meets many of these requirements today

• Automated and demand-oriented ventilation of lift shafts with the aim of energy savings
• Monitoring of CO₂ levels and air humidity

In practice: BlueKit actively contributes to monitoring and improving indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and indoor air quality (IAQ).