Home elevators in Thailand: sustainable by Swedish design

For homeowners comparing home elevators in Thailand, Cibes offers screw-driven Swedish home lifts designed for low energy use, no hydraulic oil, no deep pit, and no separate machine room. A home elevator, also called a home lift, runs on a standard 220V household power supply and is engineered for low energy consumption in use and in standby. Cibes home lifts use screw-drive technology with no hydraulic oil, no deep pit, and no machine room.

At Cibes Lift Thailand (subsidiary of Cibes Lift Group AB in Gävle, since 1947), one question from homeowners keeps coming back: will a lift raise my electricity bill? The short answer is no. The longer answer is a Swedish approach to engineering, where sustainability shapes how a lift is designed, how it is built, and how long it stays in service.

Martin Lewerth, CEO of Cibes Lift Group, participated in an exclusive discussion and interview regarding the growth direction of the home elevator market in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

How much electricity does a home elevator actually use?

A Cibes home lift connects to a standard 220V household power supply, similar to common home appliances, with no machine room equipment running in the background. The screw-driven system is engineered for low consumption both in use and in standby.

Buyers do not have to take that on faith. For example, a Sustainability Report or a third-party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) documents the lift's lifecycle carbon footprint, material composition, recyclability, and energy use, so energy claims can be checked against independent data.

In practice, a home lift travels short distances a few times a day. Combined with an energy efficient drive and quiet operation, the running cost stays modest, especially compared with the comfort it returns every day. Battery backup functions also mean the lift can bring passengers safely to a floor during a power interruption.

Why is screw-drive technology a sustainable choice?

Screw-driven home lifts use a mechanically simple system with fewer moving parts and no hydraulic oil to top up, replace, or dispose of. Fewer parts mean less maintenance and less waste over the lifetime of the lift.

There is also a construction benefit that is easy to overlook. Because Cibes home lifts are designed without a deep pit or a separate machine room, installation requires far less concrete, steel, and demolition work. For renovations of existing Thai homes, that means less disruption and a smaller construction footprint.

The design is also meant to last and then come apart cleanly. Cibes lifts use a modular construction with separable steel and aluminum components, so parts can be accessed, replaced, or upgraded instead of replacing the whole lift. One of the group's key platform lift models reaches a recyclability rate of 91 percent based on its material composition, supporting a group target of 90 percent recyclability for all lifts by 2030.

Every drive technology involves trade-offs. Hydraulic systems rely on oil that needs maintenance and disposal, and they often require more construction work. Traction systems suit tall buildings but need structural provisions a family home rarely has. A screw-driven home lift trades top speed for compactness, simplicity, and low energy use, which is the right balance for a residence of two to five floors. It is not designed for high-rise duty, and that focus is exactly why it stays efficient.

What does "made by a Swedish manufacturer" mean for sustainability? 

It means the environmental claims are documented, not just declared. Cibes production units in Sweden and China hold ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, the international standards for quality and environmental management, and the Gävle factory has signed a REACH compliance statement aligned with EU chemical regulations.

The group also publishes an annual Sustainability Report. The 2025 edition is inspired by the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and sets measurable targets: a 50 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 from a 2022 baseline, and 90 percent renewable energy in production units by 2030. Renewable energy reached 23 percent of production unit consumption in 2025, helped by a new solar installation at the Jiaxing factory and a Polish factory running on electricity sourced entirely from onshore wind farms.

For a homeowner in Thailand, the practical takeaway is simple: the lift in your home comes from a supply chain that measures its impact, reports it publicly every year, and shows the numbers that still need work alongside the wins.

How does Cibes support sustainability in Thailand?

Since incoporating its direct subsidiary in Thailand in early 2016, Cibes has partnered with Sansiri, MQDC and many small businesses and private home owners (over 1,000 units as of early 2026) to empower differently-abled individuals, because accessibility is a social commitment as much as a product feature. A wheelchair friendly home elevator that lets an aging parent or a family member with limited mobility reach every floor is sustainability in its most human form. Group-wide, Cibes tracks the number of lifts sold that improve accessibility as a formal sustainability target.

That commitment is local, not remote. Cibes employs more than 100 people in Thailand across sales, installation, and service, so the team that designs for accessibility is also the team that maintains your lift for years.

We explored that human side in our earlier member update on why accessibility often brings families closer. The environmental story and the family story are really the same story: a home designed to be used fully, by everyone, for many years.

Is an energy efficient home elevator a long-term investment? 

Many homeowners think of a lift as a purchase for today's needs. In reality it is a long-service asset. Cibes' key platform lift model has an expected service life of approximately 25 years, built around a screw-and-nut drive system and a modular construction in which components can be replaced or upgraded without replacing the lift.

That is the thinking behind what the group calls future-proof homes: as mobility changes, the house stays fully usable without forcing a costly move or a major renovation later. In that sense, the most sustainable home is often the one a family never has to leave.

Four checks before choosing a home elevator brand

FAQ about Home Elevators

• Do home elevators need a special electrical installation?

  Most Cibes home lifts run on a standard 220V household connection and do not require a separate machine room. Backup power functions are included for safe operation during outages.

• Do home elevators in Thailand need three-phase power?

  Most Cibes home lifts are designed for a standard 220V household connection, so a typical Thai home does not need a three-phase upgrade for the lift alone. But we also provide options to use 380V three-phases for all our models.

• Can I install a home lift in an existing house in Thailand?

  Yes, in most cases. Cibes home lifts are modular and screw-driven, with no deep pit and no machine room, so they are designed to retrofit into existing homes with limited construction work. A site survey confirms the best position and any structural requirements.

• What home lift is suitable for elderly parents in Thailand?

  Look for step-free entry, simple controls, battery backup for power interruptions, and a local service team that can respond quickly. Cibes designs its home lifts around aging in place, keeping the family home accessible as mobility changes instead of forcing a move.

• Are home elevators environmentally friendly?

  It depends on the technology and the manufacturer. Screw-driven platform lifts avoid hydraulic oil and need less construction work to install. When comparing brands, look for the energy data of the specific model, third-party verified documents such as an EPD, and factory certifications such as ISO 14001.

• How can I check a lift brand's sustainability claims?

  Ask three things: does the manufacturer publish an annual sustainability report, which certifications do its factories hold, and is there a third-party verified Environmental Product Declaration for the model you are considering. Cibes Lift Group publishes its sustainability report every year.

Cibes Lift Thailand and the Swedish business community

Cibes Lift Thailand is a proud Annual Gold Partner of SweCham Thailand. We support Swedish initiatives in the Kingdom through the chamber's community, and long-term collaboration with Swedish business networks in Thailand.

To know more, contact us via our website www.cibeslift.co.th

About the Author:

Bruno Radegonde is Thailand Managing Director at Cibes Lift (Thailand) Co., ltd. And Senior Director for Marketing and Commercial Excellence Apac & Mena. He has been part of the Cibes Lift Group since 2021 and worked in Thailand since 2010. Bruno holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Paris 12.