APh ePower Secures 2025 R&D 100 Award for Pioneering Elevator Energy Recovery

The aluminum battery leader's Elevator Regenerative Power System reclaims wasted power and yields carbon credits with every lift.

KAOHSIUNG, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- APh ePower, the global leader in commercialized aluminum battery technology, announced today that it has received the prestigious 2025 R&D 100 Award. This honor recognizes the company's innovative Elevator Regenerative Power System (ERPS), which reimagines one of modern life's most ubiquitous machines as a high-performance distributed energy-recovery engine. By capturing kinetic energy from every ride, APh ePower provides an industrial-grade solution that bridges the gap between energy efficiency and sustainable asset management.

Elevators generate recoverable energy during two predictable phases: ascending with a light load and descending with a heavy one. The ERPS captures that energy using high-efficiency DC-to-DC converters, achieving over 90% conversion efficiency – and stores it in an ultra-safe aluminum battery capable of rapid charge and discharge.

The result is instant energy recovery and storage, ensuring power is available when needed. This system guarantees continued elevator operation during outages and enhances occupant safety, providing buildings with a level of resilience that traditional systems cannot match.

In April 2025, APh ePower achieved another major milestone: Gold Standard approved the first globally applicable methodology enabling elevator regenerative power systems to generate carbon credits. The methodology defines how regenerative energy savings are quantified and verified, transforming those savings into tradable emission reductions. This approval opens a new pathway for elevator projects within the voluntary carbon market.

The potential impact of ERPS is immense. With over 15 million elevators operating worldwide, APh ePower's system can cut energy use by more than 40%, unlocking 164 TWh of annual savings—a figure that surpasses the total power consumption of many hyperscale AI data centers. This positions APh ePower at the forefront of industrial decarbonization by creating a significant new stream for carbon credits from verified energy savings.

Gold Standard CEO Margaret Kim praised the technology, stating, "We're proud to endorse APh ePower's innovative methodology for harnessing regenerative energy from elevator operations. Such practical application of regenerative energy not only drives down overall consumption but also delivers real, verifiable reductions in carbon emission. This is exactly the kind of scalable, high-integrity solution we champion at Gold Standard."For APh ePower, elevators are only the first step. The company is currently extending its aluminum-based dynamic storage technology into AI data center backup systems, hybrid mobility platforms, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), robotics, and the infrastructure shaping next-generation smart cities. As global electrification accelerates, aluminum batteries are emerging as an essential pathway for applications requiring rapid charge-discharge performance and enhanced safety. APh ePower's broader ambition is to redefine how everyday devices capture, store, and monetize energy—turning routine operational dynamics into measurable, financeable gains.

APh ePower's website: https://www.global.aph-epower.com/

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