South Africa is moving in sync with the green trend emerging around the world. For example, the South African Government recently unveiled a new green building for the Department of Environmental Affairs; it uses solar power, rainwater, and a range of other technologies and design elements to save resources.
Corporate audio-visual (AV) integrators and vendors are also being called upon to help companies meet the demands of standards such as The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) - an international metric for 'green' buildings. Here are a few things to consider when evaluating AV solutions:
Ask questions about power consumption of any screens, projectors and other gear that you buy. Also consider power management features in the products you evaluate - a truly green AV product is energy efficient while in use and can be configured to switch off or go into standby when it's being used.
These systems are not cheap, but the upfront investment translates into lower costs in the future. Once they're in place, such systems help to drive cost savings through power efficiency and reduced wastage;
To this end, AV vendors such as Crestron and AMX have developed solutions that use algorithms to adjust devices in response to variables such as natural light, temperature, time of day, occupancy, and room usage. For example, a projector and the air-conditioner in a meeting room could be primed to turn on 10 minutes before a scheduled meeting. Companies could install motion sensors that activate air-conditioning and lights when someone is in the room and deactivate them when there's no one there.
Blinds could be integrated into building management and configured to adjust in response to the position of the sun. This can allow companies to warm and light rooms with the sun, achieving further savings on air-conditioning and lighting; and
Because AV equipment consumes a lot of energy and is often built from toxic materials, it can contribute significantly to an organisation's carbon footprint. There are a number of ways that you can manage the challenge of energy efficiency, provided you choose your suppliers wisely and manage your AV infrastructure in an optimal manner.
