Achieving Space, Installation, and Energy Savings

With an aging population, there is a growing trend in detached houses (private residences) towards "multi-generational homes" for inheritance tax purposes, an increase in "mixed-use homes" for asset management, and construction with future renovations in mind from the outset. Consequently, renovations involving the installation of home elevators are also on the rise.

Panasonic Home Elevator, the top market share manufacturer of home elevators in Japan, has focused on closets in existing homes. By miniaturizing and thinning the equipment components that have been well-received in the already released "1212 and 1214 Joy Modern S200V" models, and applying technology with a pit depth (underfloor dimension on the lowest floor) of 200mm that enables space-saving construction, they have made it possible to install home elevators through "closet renovations." Furthermore, by streamlining the hydraulic equipment and improving the layout, they have reduced construction time by three days compared to previous models, leading to cost reductions.

What is the Structure of an Elevator?

Home elevators come in two main types: "hydraulic elevators," suitable for two-story houses and renovations, which use a hydraulic jack that extends and retracts by controlling the oil flow, lifting and lowering the car; and "rope elevators," suitable for three to four-story buildings, which use a winding machine to control the up and down movement of wire ropes, lifting and lowering the car. Traction elevators, used in commercial buildings and apartments, balance the weight of the car and a counterweight to drive the system.

Previously, installing a home elevator through renovation required excavation work to deepen the house's foundation, and the concrete chiseling work significantly increased construction time and costs. The "S200" series of home elevators greatly reduces these construction hurdles. It addresses concerns that have led people to abandon home elevator installations, such as the inability to create elevator plans that penetrate vertically, the difficulty of construction work, the desire to avoid foundation chiseling as much as possible, and high prices.

Space-saving design that fits into a closet of just one tatami mat

The new model "1608 Joy Modern S200V" is a 2-person capacity (150kg load) type exclusively for two-story homes, yet it features a space-saving design that fits into a closet of one tatami mat size. It requires 9 days for foundation work (including 2 days for chiseling and 1 day for excavation), and reduces construction costs by approximately 370,000 yen (25%) compared to previous models (according to Panasonic Home Elevator research). It also achieves energy savings with a monthly electricity cost of 440 yen (based on 20 uses per day).

Fitting within a width of one ken (1820mm) and a depth of half a ken (910mm) – the size of a single tatami mat – it can effectively utilize spaces like closets (approximately 1800mm wide x 900mm deep). Despite its compact installation space, it allows for boarding and alighting with a simple assisted wheelchair (sizes up to 430mm wide x 730mm long). Furthermore, its rich variety of door designs and colors, leveraging Panasonic's unique technological capabilities, allows it to blend seamlessly into detached homes, which is another attractive feature.

Home Elevator "1608 Joy Modern S200V"
Suggested Retail Price | 2.85 million to 2.95 million yen (excluding tax, including elevator installation costs)
Drive System | Hydraulic