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Volume 2, Issue 1 — January 31, 2011 |
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STEP Explained: Part 3 of 5
By Scott Walker, CTS-D, LEED AP
The InfoComm AV Sustainability Rating System Task Force is continuing to make progress on the development of the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP) Rating System. Currently, the task force is writing detailed explanations of each credit, which will comprise a STEP reference guide. This reference guide will provide a project team with the instructions necessary to take a project through the entire STEP process from program phase through ongoing operations.
This article is the third of a five-part series outlining the five phases of a STEP project. Part 1 detailed the credits in program (P) phase. Part 2 detailed the credits in architectural and infrastructure design (AI) phase. This month’s article focuses on electronic systems design (SD) phase. As you review the credit descriptions below, remember that STEP is still a work in progress, and some credits may change as the task force receives more industry feedback.
Having set the project on a sustainable footing in STEP’s program phase and architecture and infrastructure phase, we now move into the heart of the design effort: the electronics systems design phase. Because STEP’s mandate is broader than just GreenAV, the credit requirements in this phase encompass any electronic system — AV, videoconference, voice/data, security, etc — a building might contain. As such, 15 of the 16 credits apply to any type of electronic system design with only the last credit being AV-specific.
Credit SD1: Conduct a STEP phase transition review. STEP credits align numerically from phase to phase wherever possible. For instance, all XX1 credits pertain to STEP administrative tasks, such as kickoff meetings and phase transition reviews. Just as in Credit AI1, which requires teams to conduct a phase transition review and assign technology infrastructure responsibilities, in SD1 the STEP administrator again apprises the project team of goals achieved during the previous two phases and establishes roles and responsibilities for earning credits in electronics systems design phase. Also, each phase transition includes an after-action review of any credits that were attempted but not achieved from the previous phase, so lessons can be learned for future projects.
Credit SD2: Reduce paper use by releasing drawings and specifications electronically (including all major bid phase deliverables, if applicable).
How many forests have I thinned with the thousands of bids sets I, or my firm, have produced over the years? Probably, more than I care to know. Like Credit AI2, which aims to reduce paper use in AI phase, SD2 seeks to stem the dead-tree parade by incentivizing the paperless delivery of electronic system design and bid documents. Hallelujah!
Credit SD3: Specify products that restrict the inclusion of hazardous materials. In 2003, the European Union adopted the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, which sought to reduce harmful substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and other materials from electronic products. Officially, RoHS took effect in Europe on July 1, 2006. STEP rewards the efforts made by manufacturers who have been able to meet the directive by awarding one point if at least 70 percent of all electronic products specified meet RoHS and two points if 90 percent or more meet RoHS.
Credit SD4: Specify certified energy-efficient products for all applicable product categories. Let the controversy begin. This credit addresses ENERGY STAR and other similar energy-efficiency certifications such as Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) certification. The credit awards up to two points if the designer specifies ENERGY STAR or TCO-rated products for all applicable product categories. Those last three words (applicable product categories) are very important. Yes, historically ENERGY STAR has addressed consumer products only, and TCO is mainly concerned with office IT equipment. However, ENERGY STAR has expanded its purview into the realm of ProAV over the past two years and will continue to do so, and TCO already has a projector certification. This credit states that professional equipment should be favored over consumer-grade equipment where applicable, and that consumer-grade equipment should not be substituted strictly to obtain this credit. Thus, AV professionals can view this credit as being both offensive (we want to incentivize the development of more ENERGY STAR ProAV products to have more products to choose from) and defensive (we want our customers to understand how limited ENERGY STAR and TCO are today for ProAV equipment). For applicable categories (there’s that key phrase again), one point is earned for 70 percent of electronics being ENERGY STAR or TCO-compliant and two points for 90 percent or more.
Credit SD5: Specify systems to intelligently manage power states to reduce overall energy consumption. This credit references InfoComm’s ANSI Audiovisual Systems Energy Management Performance Standard, which is currently under development but is scheduled to be released in early 2011. This credit awards up to five points for specifying intelligent energy management solutions that trigger AV power states based on scheduling software, motion/occupancy sensors and other means. Systems shall be designed so power consumption is monitored, measured and reported to the owner.
Credit SD6: Specify (with calculations to justify) the use of reclaimed equipment. OK, a little more controversy to ponder. Aren’t we supposed to sell people new equipment whenever and wherever possible? Well, maybe, maybe not. If one can justify the specification of new efficient ENERGY STAR power amplifiers to replace perfectly good but less efficient existing amplifiers, then credit is awarded for providing the justification. Essentially, this credit asks us to look at what the owner has (in the case of a renovation or relocation project) and reuse good equipment when it makes sense. Conversely, if that functional equipment does not meet the owner’s program or will not prepare the owner adequately for the future, then SD6 requires a justification of why that equipment should be replaced with the hope that it gets recycled, per Credit SD7.
Credit SD7: Specify the process to reduce systems-related waste. There’s a business opportunity to be had in electronics recycling. In SD7 the designer is tasked with specifying the requirements for recycling existing equipment not reused from Credit SD6, as well as highlighting manufacturers and systems integrators who have take-back or recycling programs. A big value-add to many buyers will be those partners who can keep them from drowning in their own electronics grave yard. If you’ve been thinking about helping your customers with this problem, now is the time to get those programs in place.
Credit SD8, SD9 and SD10: The Integrated Building Technology (IBT) Credits. The IBT triplets first appeared in AI phase and they’re back to offer more opportunities for credit in systems design phase. In this phase we get down to the brass tacks of specifying the exact hardware and software that integrates the disparate building systems into integrated, smart and green systems. As with the previous XX8, 9 and 10 credits, these credits award points for hardware integration (SD8), scheduling software integration (SD9) and engaging the services of an IBT project manager (SD10).
Credit SD11: Reduce carbon impact of the project team through travel reduction. This credit is the same as Credit AI11, which seeks to reduce project-related travel through the use of conferencing technology, except here it applies to system design efforts where technology professionals have even more control over which meetings can occur virtually. Credit is given if 50 percent or more of all technology design coordination meetings are held virtually. This includes the use of Web-based collaboration software; audio, videoconferencing and telepresence technology; or other virtual-meeting tools for project coordination.
Credit SD12: Specify product packaging made of recycled materials. OK, it’s time to quit chucking all that packing “popcorn” into the trash. There are plenty of biodegradable alternatives to polystyrene, and this credit rewards the specification of products with packaging made from recycled materials and which are clearly labeled with the appropriate ASTM Paper and Packaging Standards information.
Credit SD13: The project shall embrace a lean-design approach, minimizing system components and succinctly addressing capability requirements. This one will be a bit tricky and, yes, controversial. However, we should promote the concept of lean (yet forward-looking) design wherever possible. Lean design can simply reflect a desire to be good stewards of our customers’ money, but it can also result in less virgin material, heat load and energy consumption generated from our designs. A design brief would state how multipurpose products, modular or chassis-based devices, and network-upgradeable technology used in the design minimize the system’s overall carbon footprint.
Credit SD14: Eliminate consumable, user-replaceable batteries from the design. If we took all the non-rechargeable batteries that wireless AV devices — wireless microphones, remote controls, laser pointers, etc — burned through in a year, how big of a mountain would we make? The purpose of this credit is to eliminate non-rechargeable batteries from the systems design to reduce battery consumption and waste. The use of rechargeable batteries and smart chargers, which automatically turn off when the batteries are fully charged, is required for compliance with this credit.
Credit SD15: Design systems for IP remote management. Systems that incorporate IP remote management are greener because they can result in fewer truck rolls for service calls and can be upgraded remotely. For systems to be programmed for remote management during the subsequent systems integration phase, they have to be designed that way during design phase. Networkable AV systems have been around since the late ‘90s (or what seems like the late Jurassic Period in AV years). In 2011 and beyond, this should be a gimme point for any ProAV design firm. Sadly, many systems are still deployed with that network jack on the back of the control processor or display, so it just sits there, naked as a jay bird.
Credit SD AV1: Provide ROI and environmental impact calculation to the owner for conferencing, streaming and rich-media capture systems in the design. For anyone upset about STEP’s focus on reclaimed equipment and lean design, we are also promoting the concept that more AV equipment can lower an owner’s overall carbon footprint. We simply haven’t been making the argument from both a return on investment (of money, time, etc) and environmental benefit standpoint. Yes, AV is a convenience, but it is much more than that. It can be transformational in the way we humans interact, collaborate and make decisions. This credit builds on the baseline travel-metrics data collected in Credit P AV1 to justify the purchase of conferencing technologies to not only reduce travel-related carbon emissions but to also offset owner costs.
AV consultants and design-build integrators who can put forward a functional and future-ready, as well as a lean and responsible AV design can differentiate themselves in the crowded and cut-throat market we find ourselves in today. When long-term savings are presented to an owner with calculations and justification, first costs — and particularly design costs — can become easier to justify and even increase, since the payback outweighs the added design effort.
Scott Walker, CTS-D, LEED® AP, is president and CEO of Waveguide Consulting, a national AV, IT and acoustical consulting firm. Scott is a past president of InfoComm International, and he currently chairs InfoComm’s AV Sustainability Task Force, which is responsible for developing the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEPSM) rating system. Scott can be reached at swalker@waveguide.com
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Step 2: Take Action and Build Some Green Cred!
By Midori Connolly
The first step towards sustainability, as we explored last month, is the creation of a plan. This is followed by action, report and shout! The next step we’ll discuss, taking action to implement the plan, can be a risky undertaking. One of the best ways to ensure you’re following the correct procedure is to engage appropriate standards.
In order to provide the most streamlined information, I will split the action segment of the column into two parts. One for the integrated systems side, and one for the rental and staging organizations. This month we’ll look at the standards most applicable for the R&S folks. At this point in time, the two standards that will be most useful for R&S are the ASTM/APEX Green Meeting Standards and BS8901 (to eventually become ISO 20121).
The ASTM Green Meeting Standards are a checklist, event-oriented set of standards that will define an environmentally-sustainable event. Based on nine sectors of meetings, conventions and exhibitions, AV is included as a sector (possibly for the first time ever). It is important to note that a R&S company cannot become certified under these standards without being a supplier participant in the event. The standards are entirely event-based, meaning that you cannot be an ASTM certified company.
Of particular interest is that these standards were peer-developed and approved, but received extensive interest and collaboration from sustainability experts across an extremely broad range of industries. This included chemists, construction professionals, consultants, government officials and more. The final result will be a set of standards that are practical and applicable for any AV company, whether they have green meeting experience or not.
The way the standards are designed, a final score is tallied based on the performance of both a supplier and planner. This ensures both parties are doing their part to create a green event. For more information on the E60.02 Subcommittee’s work, you can visit the ASTM website here. The standards are expected to be finalized in the next month.
The next standard of interest to the R&S industry is BS8901. BS8901 was originally created in an effort to create a system for planning a sustainable event in advance of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Unlike the ASTM standards, BS8901 is an Environmental Management System, or EMS. Much like ISO 14001, the EMS is a set of procedures and processes that are customized for each organization. BS8901 is not a checklist, but the EMS might dictate that a standard such as ASTM be part of the process to create an environmentally sustainable event.
Also different from ASTM, a company can achieve certification without ever being involved a single event. This is because the organization has put a set of processes in place prior to supplying an event. This could be particularly useful for the AV company looking to build its credibility and knowledge without yet having experienced a green meeting. For more information, visit the BSi website here. (It is important to note that the BS8901:2009 standard is the basis for the new ISO 20121 standard under development globally, so experience gained with BS8901 will be extremely useful.)
I encourage you to take a look at these two standards as an excellent way to take action towards sustainability. They will guide you along the path so you can be well prepared to next report and then shout about your sustainable program.
Midori Connolly is CEO and Chief AVGirl of Pulse Staging & Events, Inc. in Escondido, California. She wrote the first-ever set of Sustainable Staging guidelines after discovering none existed. She is the vice-chair of the AV committee for the U.S. EPA’s Green Meetings Standards and regularly speaks and writes about corporate social responsibility and green practices in live events and meeting planning. Reach her at midori@pulsestaging.com
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GreenPoints is NOT…
By Gary Kayye, CTS
Since announcing that we’d be launching the AV industry’s Green Products Rating System, dubbed GreenPoints, later this year, we’ve fielded hundreds of emails asking all sorts of questions about it. And, I wish I had the time to write all of you back individually so, in an attempt to reach out to you and address some of the most frequently asked questions about GreenPoints, I’ve added this column this month.
Although I can’t tell you exactly what GreenPoints will be (the specific industry groups involved have not had a chance to weigh in on all that they’d like to see us add to GreenPoints), I can tell you a few things what GreenPoints will NOT be:
Green-Washing: There are a lot of marketing claims being made by manufacturers out there to make their products seem like green-worthy technology. And, some are and some aren’t. One thing I can tell you for sure, we won’t allow so-called “green-washing” where some claim of green value is made by a product that, well, simply isn’t true.
Stand-by-Power-Hogs: Although only a few consumer stand-by power-draw standards exist to qualify a product as truly energy-efficient and green, we’ll use what’s out there and apply it to our market. For example, a less than 1-watt power draw in stand-by seems reasonable to us for most AV products out there, but there are cases where you simply need a little more juice to run the product via the network. But, you’ll have a tough time convincing us a projector needs to draw 10 watts in stand-by.
Eco-Mode: If your projector doesn’t have one, how can it be considered “green”? This is a must-have feature and we’ll be unlikely to give a high points-rating any projection display using a light source other than LED that doesn’t have some sort of eco-mode. Don’t agree? Make a good case — we’ll listen.
Can it Really be Recycled?: Some manufacturers are making recycling claims out there that simply aren’t true. We’ll verify each and every one of them since recyclability is a must-have component of nearly any “green” AV product – these things simply don’t last forever.
This is just a beginning, and, let’s face it, not all products need to be “green.” But, there’s a marketing-war revving up out there over in the GreenAV battlefield and we hope to help prevent a repeat of the ridiculously over-spec’d and over-hyped ANSI lumens debacle.
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Sanus Ships Power Conditioner
SANUS is now shipping the Foundations Component Series CAPC01 Rack Mounted Power Conditioner. The CAPC01 is rack mountable and features include:
- 11 fast-acting 2,400-Joule protected outlets
- Multi-mode LED display with indication of voltage, amps and power consumption to help monitor power usage and identify energy saving opportunities
- Dual-stage EMI/RFI filters
- Adjustable dual pull-out LED light dimmers
- Guaranteed $50,000 connected equipment warranty
- Electronic specification: 12A max/125V/60 Hz/1500 W
The CAPC01 lists for $249 and you can see all the specs here: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/av-foundations/av-component/CAPC01
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WolfVision Rolls Out Green Strategy
Dubbed NaturallyGreen, WolfVision claims they already have the “greenest” document camera line in the AV industry. In addition to the certification for quality management in accordance with ISO 9001, WolfVision also conforms to environmental management standards and is certified under ISO 14001. For a European manufacturer like WolfVision, stringent environmental protection directives also apply, such as:
- Directive 2002/95/EG RoHS – Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances.
- Directive 2002/96/EG WEEE – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.
- Regulation 1907/2006 REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals.
WolfVision also says that its Visualizer line of document cameras is 95 percent recyclable and they’ve instituted a totally green initiative inside the company by recycling nearly everything – and, even requiring the same of their suppliers and vendors. That’s something we’ve only seen at one other company so far in our industry — projector manufacturer Christie Digital.
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STEP Webinar Now Available Online
InfoComm’s Sustainable Technology Environments Program or STEP seeks to learn from and complement LEED, which focuses on the shell and core of a building, by adding a rating system for the electronic systems that work within that shell and core. The system, now in draft form, invites participation throughout the project — from AV program phase through occupancy from the entire AV value chain.
Now, AV manufacturers will have a place where their green products, shipping practices and facilities can count for something. Consultants, integrators and software programmers will collaborate to share responsibility in the planning, design, integration and programming of systems to minimize energy consumption while still promoting AV quality. Purchasers of AV goods and services will have a clear way to specify their sustainability goals and measure the ROI of their sustainable AV investments. STEP SM is slated to launch in Q1 2011.
Want to know more about STEP? Check out this webinar presented by Scott Walker, CTS-D, LEED AP, as provides valuable information about rich media and its application in future design planning: Green-Streaming-How-Rich-Media-Can-Help-Your-Organization-Achieve-Its-Sustainability-Goals.aspx
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Well, that’s it for this edition of rAVe GreenAV Edition! Thank you for spending time with us as we muse the industry’s happenings. To continue getting my newsletter, or to sign up a friend, click the link below. To send feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter – instead, write to Publisher Gary Kayye at gary@ravepubs.com or Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about Gary Kayye, CTS, founder of rAVe and Kayye Consulting. Gary Kayye, an audiovisual veteran and columnist, began the widely-read KNews, a premier industry newsletter, in the late 1990s, and created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which later became InfoComm IQ. Kayye Consulting is a company that is committed to furthering the interests and success of dealers, manufacturers, and other companies within the professional audiovisual industry.
rAVe Pro Edition launched in February 2003. rAVe Home Edition, co-sponsored by CEDIA, launched in February 2004. rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007. rAVe Ed [Education] began publication in May 2008. rAVe DS [Digital Signage] launched in January 2009. This publication, rAVe GreenAV, was launched in August 2010.
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rAVe GreenAV contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors.
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