A holistic normalization method (So et al 2005, Lam et al 2006) was developed, which can simultaneously assess both drive efficiency and traffic control performance on a real-time basis of a lift system, termed <J/kg-m> measured in the unit, J/kg/m. Since 2012, it has been adopted by the HKSAR Government as an emerging good engineering practice in the Technical Guidelines of the Building Energy Code. A study of the parameter based on pure simulations using artificial traffic patterns and simple energy patterns was conducted (So et al 2018), recommending that a value of 40 J/kg/m could indicate an efficient system. In this article, the study is conducted again based on real passenger demand and real energy profiles on a bank of seven lifts serving a super-high-rise luxurious office building in Hong Kong, with a conclusion that the previous recommendation is still valid, supported by real data. The study includes variation by simulation in traffic control algorithms and the number of lifts of the bank to study the "undersizing effect" with the same passenger demands throughout a typical weekday, from morning to evening.