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Volume 3, Issue 5 — May 31, 2012
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STEP Up on the Hill
By Scott Walker
President and CEO, Waveguide Consulting Washington, May 17, 2012…This morning, less than a year after its official announcement at InfoComm 2011, STEP made its debut on Capitol Hill in a presentation to the U.S. House of Representatives’ High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition (www.hpbccc.org). The caucus, co-chaired by Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), was formed in 2008 and is intended to heighten awareness and inform policymakers of the opportunities to design, construct and operate buildings to be more energy efficient. STEP, as we all know by now, addresses the role that electronic systems such as AV, IT and integrated building technologies (IBT) can play to make buildings smarter and more energy efficient from earliest planning through day-to-day operations.
Wild horses couldn’t have kept me away.
The presentation, part of High-Performance Building Week up on Capitol Hill, was arranged by our fellow STEP sustaining member, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). From its inception, the STEP rating system was always intended to be more than just a GreenAV thing and certainly more than just a set of best practices. It needed to embrace all low-voltage building technologies and attract other like-minded industry associations who could broaden its mission and message. Today was an example of the power of good partnerships. If STEP were just an AV thing, no way would we get a meeting on Capitol Hill within a year (or maybe ever). However, as a coalition of four major trade associations representing AV, IT, structured cabling and telecommunications, we get a swing at the plate.
The presentation was attended by congressional caucus staff plus industry representatives from ASHRAE, APPA, NFPA, UL and other groups. Cisco’s Gary Hall was first up to bat with a presentation highlighting Cisco’s efforts to imbue sustainable thinking into every aspect of their corporate culture. Having served on InfoComm’s STEP task force, Gary was in the room as STEP was being molded. (In fact, he was the one who came up with the name STEP.) Cisco’s clout combined with Gary’s familiarity with STEP and his passion for sustainability (he makes me look like Mr. Burns from “The Simpsons”) made him a great leadoff hitter.
STEP executive director, Allen Weidman, followed with an overview of STEP’s evolution and a run-through of the rating system itself. With more than 30 years of association experience working with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and other governmental bodies, Allen could speak to the niche that STEP fills in the high-performance building landscape. The final presenter was Herb Congdon, TIA’s Associate Vice President of Technology and Standards. Herb talked about STEP’s pathway to becoming a consensus-driven ANSI standard with broad industry input and acceptance.
The presentations were very well received and the question and answer session at the end highlighted where STEP needed to go next. In fact, Mae Stevens, legislative assistant to Representative Carnahan, stunned us all by asking the $64,000 question: Did we have a bill we wanted the caucus to present to the House? Shwing!
Speaking for myself, I felt a little like Jimmy Stewart’s Jefferson Smith from Frank Capra’s “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Oh, we get to actually propose legislation? Just like that? We don’t have to wander in the wilderness for millennia like the USGBC wanted us to do? Being my first time on Capitol Hill (other than as a kid visiting D.C. during the Bicentennial), it hadn’t crossed my mind that there was an “ask” we should have embedded on the last slide.
Ms. Stevens added that while Congress was stuck in gridlock these days over almost everything, her boss and his Republican co-chair believed that there was broad bipartisan support for legislation to promote energy independence through smart building technologies. Indeed, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, along with a series of executive orders and agency-specific rules, paved the way for STEP. In 2010 the General Services Administration (GSA) upgraded its green building requirements to mandate that all new federal building construction and major renovation projects obtain LEED Gold certification. I suggested to Ms. Stevens that adding STEP alongside these LEED requirements might be the logical bill that would eventually emanate from our efforts.
In all honesty we are probably a year or more away from being ready for the deluge that would follow if such legislation were passed. With more than 350 million square feet of space under its purview, the GSA is the single largest real estate organization in the U.S. If they were to adopt STEP, we’d “need a bigger boat” as Chief Brody famously proclaimed in “Jaws.” However, as a first date with Congress, I would call today’s meeting a huge success and a promising path for STEP to follow once we’re ready. If you’ve been sitting on the fence about STEP, now might be a good time to get your business aligned with STEP’s goals and credits. We just might be on to something…
Scott Walker, CTS-D, LEED® AP, is president and CEO of Waveguide Consulting, a leading AV, IT and acoustical consulting firm. He is also a past president of InfoComm International. Scott is recognized as being one of the primary forces behind the founding of the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP) rating system and currently is a member of the STEP Foundation board, which is responsible for managing the STEP program. Scott can be reached at swalker@waveguide.com
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Second Annual GreenAV Shopping List
By Midori Connolly
CEO/Chief AVGirl, Pulse Staging & Events If you remember last year, I supplied a list of talking points for your InfoComm tradeshow experience. My hope was that you would have a point to start discussions with manufacturers on their green practices. Well, this year I would like to revisit the list and expand to create a checklist that you can easily adapt to your own needs. While some of the list might be familiar from last year, this year many of the items are derived from the ASTM Evaluation and Selection of Audio Visual (AV) and Production for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences and the Sustainable Technologies Environments Program (STEP). Additionally, a section for community/social considerations has been added.
Even if you’re not attending InfoComm, this is a useful list that will help you with your sustainable procurement practices throughout the year.
So here are some questions you can ask manufacturers and other potential vendors:
Environmental Policies
–Do you have a written environmental policy available to view?
–Does the policy have executive endorsement and staff support?
–Does the manufacturer have at least one of the following qualifications?
- ISO 14001
- RoHS
- Manufacturing facilities powered in part or in whole by one or more alternative energy sources
- Formal system for evaluating and reporting environmental performance such as Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
- TCO or Energy Star
- Enviro-packaging policy
- Product take-back/recycling program
- GreenGuard IAQ Standard for Electronic Equipment
- Low VOC
Energy and Waste Management
–Is environmental information available on the product? - Recycled content
- Reduction of toxic materials
- Energy consumption
–Is there a baseline measurement plus energy and waste reduction plan?
–Does the manufacturer participate in carbon reduction and/or offsetting?
Social/Community Considerations
–Does the manufacturer have a written fair labor policy?
–Has the company committed to a recognized system such as the UN Global Compact?
–Are there any community groups or non-profits that the manufacturer supports?
–What efforts does the manufacturer make under each of the following categories?
–Health and Safety
–Diversity and Inclusion - Education and Training
- Community Citizenship
- Fair Labor Practices
This will hopefully be a practical list that you can formulate to fill your own needs. No matter what, remember to have the important conversations around the topic of sustainability.
If you’d like to chat about GreenAV, I will be onsite at InfoComm the entire week and will always greet you with a smile!
For a printable version of this check-list, click here: https://www.ravepubs.com/utility/documents/GreenAV-Shopping-List-2012.pdf
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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InfoComm: Green Building Under the Microscope
By Allen Weidman
Executive Director, STEP Foundation This column was reprinted with permission from InfoComm International and originally appeared here.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system is among the most prominent of its type. In a roundabout way, it contributed to the formation of the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP), a green rating system for AV and other installed systems, developed by InfoComm International.
But LEED has not been without its detractors, and recently, one major LEED adopter (the U.S. government) heard from some of them.
On May 8, I attended (wait for it) the Congressional Committee on Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on Investigations & Oversight’s hearing “The Science Behind Green Building Rating Systems.” LEED wasn’t the only green rating system on the docket, but it held the spotlight.
You see, under Section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the General Services Administration (GSA) are required to determine every five years which, if any, third-party green building rating system(s) should be adopted for federal buildings, or whether a federally developed system should be used instead.
DOE and GSA are currently working to determine the preferred third-party building rating system to be used by the federal government for the next five years, with a decision expected later in 2012 or early in 2013. A Pacific Northwest National Lab study that compared third-party green building rating systems was released just prior to the hearing. So in light of this research and the ongoing decision-making process, the subcommittee got together on Capitol Hill.
In addition to LEED, three other organizations/rating systems were on the agenda: ASHRAE 189.1, Green Globes, and the Living Building Challenge, from the International Living Future Institute. The list of witnesses was impressive:
- Dr. Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE
- Mr. Kevin Kampschroer, Director of the Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, GSA
- Mr. Ward Hubbell, President, U.S. Green Building Institute
- Mr. Roger Platt, Senior Vice President, Global Policy and Law, U.S. Green Building Council
- Dr. John Scofield, Professor of Physics, Oberlin College
- Mr. Victor Olgyay, Principal Architect, Built Environment Team, Rocky Mountain Institute
- Mr. Tom Talbot, CEO, Glen Oak Lumber and Milling of Wisconsin
Here are some of my impressions from the hearing:
Ka-ching. The subcommittee talked certification costs for some of the rating systems. Green Globes is capped at $25,000, LEED at $30,000 and Living Building Challenge at $25,000. This is notable in that Congress is seeking the lowest-cost rating system with the biggest measurable benefit. Neither GSA or USGBC representatives could say how much money the federal government has spent on LEED.
Go it alone. Some members of Congress questioned whether the federal government (DOE) could (and should) do a better job developing a national green building rating system. But it was just a question, really. No answer.
Performance vs. building. Along the lines of “go-it-alone,” several witnesses recommended the federal government develop national building performance standards rather than a national green-building rating system.
Blinded by LEED. GSA stated that some federal agencies have a “LEED-only” policy, even though the GSA and DOE recognize other rating systems. In fact, it’s apparently the GSA’s position that Green Globes, with its Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) criteria, more closely aligns with federal sustainability criteria than any other system. LEED does not include an LCA to justify the most cost-effective investment impact of design and operation decisions.
Level playing field. A number of witnesses requested that LEED not only include LCA criteria, but also evaluate building products through the use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). This was in response to USGBC’s position that some building materials (like PVC) should not be used, and to its favoring certain product certifications, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
In fact, the USGBC’s LEED program was the primary focus of the hearing. For example, in questioning fit for Washington, it was asked why the GSA’s Deputy Secretary Don Horn is an USGBC Advisory Board member and why USGBC pays for his travel. Apparently Green Globes requested a similar arrangement with the GSA and was turned down.
And USGBC’s commitment to following ANSI procedures was questioned; despite being an ANSI Standards Development Organization, USGBC has no plans to make all of their guidelines into ANSI standards.
But it was John Scofield, professor of Physics at Oberlin College, who made some of the most pointed comments about USGBC and LEED. In a nutshell, he said, “It is my experience that what LEED designers deliver is what most LEED building owners want — namely, green publicity, not energy savings.”
Dr. Scofield took aim at a 2008 National Building Institute (NBI) study, which has been widely distributed by USGBC and suggests that LEED buildings show an average energy savings that’s 25 percent to 30 percent better than the national average. But based on his analysis of the data (which he said was self-selected and amounted to “a voluntary breathalyzer test”), “LEED-certified commercial buildings use about the same amount of primary energy as their conventional counterparts… There then appears to be no scientific basis for institutions such as colleges, universities or the federal government to require LEED certification as a GHG (greenhouse gas) or energy-reduction strategy for its buildings… Green building certifications are an (energy-savings) herbal remedy, as there is no creditable data to show that certified green buildings save primary energy.”
Ouch. LEED losing its luster? The government considering its own green ratings?
LEED may be more pale green (chartreuse?) than bright green after this experience. But the biggest downside is the potential for the federal government to step in (pardon the expression) and develop its own rating system to replace LEED for government buildings. More likely is development of a federal sustainable building standard, which will not be the traditional prescriptive or performance-based standard, but a more difficult-to-live-with, outcome-based standard.
What is the future for all the voluntary sustainability guidelines, standards and rating systems? It’s not as certain as it used to be. The back story on this hearing is the proposed LEED 2012 ”ban” of PVC and halogenated materials, along with a limited selection (1 of 3) of certified wood suppliers. When a volunteer organization such as USGBC loses sight of its mission and decides to serve as the design communities’ “social conscience” by using their rating system to determine what products can and cannot not be in a building, it quickly gets the free market’s attention. Life Cycle Analysis and Environmental Product Declarations were suggested a number of times during the hearing as the only “science-based” methods to determine product and building sustainability. That statement is correct, but both are also complex, time-consuming and costly–for all parties.
The future is still green, we just aren’t sure which shade. Stay tuned.
Allen Weidman is Sustainability Officer for InfoComm International and Executive Director of the STEP Foundation. He has more than 30 years of association experience and has worked with the EPA, U.S. Department of Energy, and federal and state regulatory agencies.
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Share Article Back to Top Gary Kayye's GreenAV Keynote: How to Design and Sell GreenAV Systems For the AV industry, we think GreenAV presents an opportunity to win projects, increase profit margins and stand out in a competitive business environment for integrators.
Whether you're already into green or not, you've probably heard of LEED, and perhaps of its limitations. What you may not know is that InfoComm is working on its own green standard, called the Sustainable Technology Environments Program, or STEP. We've written about this extensively in this very publication. While it will take awhile for STEP to be recognized outside our industry, InfoComm has excellent people, such as Waveguide Consulting's Scott Walker, who are very familiar with LEED and other recognized green building standards, working on the specification. And with the federal government's mandate to pick green projects over non-green ones, it just makes sense that even while STEP is in its infancy, getting designs STEP-certified will give you an edge in winning projects, especially if you're doing schools or other government-owned buildings.
For the past year, our founder, Gary Kayye, has been traveling with the Almo ProAV E4 AV Tour presenting a new keynote called "How to Design and Sell GreenAV Systems." The presentation was seen by more than 1,500 people live in Chicago, New York, Washington, DC and Anaheim, Calif. If you missed it, we've taken the entire thing and put it all on video. If you think selling green systems could give you an edge, or are already interested but aren't sure where to start, this keynote video will help you get started.
And, if you want all the keynote handouts and to see a video of it, head over to: https://www.ravepubs.com/green Back to Top Yamaha Adds Apple AirPlay to High-End Receivers — Plus, They're Green! Yamaha recently added two new network models to its RX-V series AV receivers — the 7.1-channel RX-V573 and 5.1-channel RX-V473. Both models feature Apple AirPlay compatibility with Apple iOS devices, featuring direct connectivity to iPads, iPhones and iPods, as well as the company's proprietary YPAO system calibration. System control is via the Yamaha AV controller App, which includes native iPad and tablet versions, for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire devices, or via an included IR remote or the network. Both are also capable of delivering audio from Internet radio and DLNA-certified devices.
Yamaha will announce additional models in the popular RX-V series later this month.
The RX-V573 has seven discreet assignable amplifiers that enable a system to deliver 7-channel surround sound in one zone, to bi-amp and double power to main speakers, or to provide audio to Zone B. The RX-V573 also has a Virtual Presence Speaker function for achieving full CINEMA DSP 3D surround without front presence speakers.
The RX-V573 and RX-V473 both have multi-language on-screen displays that overlay onto HD and 3D video signals to depict system control and set-up prompts. Data, such as song titles, from connected iPods, iPhones, iPods or USB drives is shown on the receivers' attractive on-screen displays. Connected iPods, iPhones and iPads will also charge automatically for later use on the go.
Additional features include:
- ECO Mode that reduces the model's power consumption by 20 percent. The model has extremely low power consumption in standby mode and Auto Power Down can be set for 2, 4, 8 or 12 hours
- YPAO system calibration that ensures more accurate room measurements by confirming the subwoofer is fully responding before making audio adjustments
- A subwoofer level adjustment that enables listeners to increase the bass without changing the system's crossover point
- A High speed HDMI switching function that remembers the settings of all connected sources (EDID-like), eliminating the time it normally takes to adjust to each when they are selected
- Four convenient SCENE Mode buttons that automatically power on the appropriate components and make system adjustments for specific entertainment options
See all the specs here: http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v573_black_u/?mode=model
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AT&T Enters Home Control Market When you see the logo for AT&T's new Digital Life system, it might be at CEDIA — or at least, it should be. Digital Life is AT&T's newest offering that basically allows the company to help you control your entire home via a Web browser, your cell phone or even via RFID. Sounds a lot like what Crestron, AMX and Control4 do, right?
In fact, the way AT&T describes its newest service is that it's a "web-based home automation, energy monitoring and security management system for your house." That sounds even more familiar.
But, the company's not stopping there. AT&T says it will also expand the system to businesses in the future.
If you're interested in becoming a dealer, click here: http://digitallifeservices.att.com/Pages/default.aspx
And if you want to understand more about how it works, go here: http://digitallifeservices.att.com/howitworks/Pages/default.aspx
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Share Article Back to Top Eragy Announces New Family of Energy Management Applications for Control4 Systems Eragy has introduced a new suite of energy monitoring and management Apps specifically aimed at Control4 integrators because they offer energy monitoring of any of their control systems. These include:
- Eragy Energy LITE: A new $49 App that works in tandem with a TED 5000, eGauge, or BLI power sensor and requires the Eragy Energy driver. This App provides all the features of Watt’s On FREE plus real-time whole house energy monitoring and basic energy cost information.
- Eragy Energy PLUS: This App is basically an update you have to pay for. This $199 App works in tandem with a TED 5000, eGauge, or BLI power sensor and requires the Eragy Energy driver and an Eragy subscription ($96/year).
- Eragy Energy PRO: This $399 energy management App works in tandem with an eGauge power sensor and requires the Eragy Energy driver and an Eragy subscription ($96/year).
You can see all the details of each app here: http://4store.com/?q=node/37
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Optoma Adds Its EcoBright Line of Projectors Optoma has expanded its EcoBright line of lamp-free projectors with two LED projectors — the 300-lumen TL30W and the 500-lumen TL50W. Aimed at mobile users, both projectors offer Wi-Fi and come with a built-in MS Office Viewer. MS Office Viewer supports the most commonly-used Microsoft Office files, including past and present versions of PowerPoint, Word, Excel, as well as Adobe PDF files, JPEG, and BMP images, and most common video file formats. The projectors offer mini-HDMI and VGA ports, as well as 2 GB of on-board memory for truly PC-less presentations.
Both the TL30W and TL50W are native WXGA (1280×800) resolution, are small (7.2” x 1.8” x 4.4”) and weigh about 2 lbs. In addition to using 1/20th the power of a normal projector, they have an EcoMode during which they power right up and down without any wait. The TL30W carries an end-user price of $549, while the TL50W is available for $649.
Here are all the specs: http://www.optomausa.com/products/detail/TL50W
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Share Article Back to Top Milestone AV Holds Grand Opening of New Green HQ Milestone AV (the parent company of Chief, Sanus, Projecta, Procolor and Da-Lite) held a grand opening of its new 85,000 square-foot headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minn., on Friday, May 11. The event was open to invited community guests and the media and was followed by an open house for employees’ families.
The new space was designed with a focus on sustainability. The first step was to renovate instead of building new, rehabilitating a building with unique design features and great natural light. The building is undergoing the LEED Silver Certification process through the U.S. Green Building Council. The updated interior of the building incorporates a host of energy-efficient features and green building practices.
Some of the design elements in the renovated space include natural lighting for 95 percent of regularly occupied seated spaces and ENERGY STAR ratings for 95 percent of the equipment in the building. In an effort to reduce the overall environmental footprint, the building is located near four major highways as well as near the proposed Southwest Light Rail Transit line.
The company’s existing Minnesota facilities in Savage and Roseville will continue to operate as manufacturing and distribution centers. Including the new headquarters location, Milestone has 10 primary locations globally, including the three in Minnesota, plus facilities in Indiana, Ohio and Kansas, and international operations in The Netherlands, France, Hong Kong and China.
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Share Article Back to Top 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 atsara@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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To read more about my background, our staff, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top Copyright 2012 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com
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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