With March upon us, the color green immediately comes to mind. Is it because we’re yearning for the gray of Winter to melt away to expose the promise of fresh, new grass? Maybe it’s because the official start of Spring is later this month – or possibly – it’s because of that fun & frenzied holiday that many of us celebrate on the 17th. No matter the reason, it got us thinking about how technology is trending greener to meet the growing demand of the environmentalists & concerned citizens of the world – that we all be kinder to Mother Earth.
The Audio-Visual Industry is a leader in the greening space. Innovations in products & processes are being developed by the designers, manufacturers, & integrators of the AV sector, so that we can all play a more active role in the green crusade. The very nature of today’s AV industry as a whole is one which encourages greening, & this is accomplished in several ways across the Audio-Visual spectrum: Organizations are choosing to deploy virtual conferences for global connectivity – rather than having their people travel on emission-spewing planes, trains, & automobiles for face-to-face meetings; AV integrators are designing systems which use less rack space for control modules – resulting in the use of less metal; & – smaller racks generally means smaller spaces in which to house them. At CAPTUS SYSTEMS, we are proud to be active participants in the green movement. We do this by streamlining the way we design, deliver, & support systems for & to our clients – which helps to diminish our carbon footprint. Cleaner & more efficient design is good news for the environment, as is the thoughtful scheduling of our technicians & engineers out in the field. Reducing the use of vehicles by slashing the amount of travel to & from locations inevitably cuts-down on greenhouse gas emissions.
One example of a company that makes being green an important part of its mission is the Ecler Audio Products Company – headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. It was recently announced that Almo is now partnering with Ecler in order to offer its merchandise to the U.S. market. Ecler has been designing & manufacturing global & integrable audio solutions since it first opened its doors in 1965. Experts in all-things audio, their products run the full gamut of tools in this space: Speakers, audio players, matrixes, amplifiers, unique products like the TRAIL line – &, all accessories needed for any type of installation. Offering its expertise & wares in 60+ countries, Ecler has enjoyed its longevity by being flexible & adapting to changing standards through the years – & the criteria of today definitely calls for being more environmentally responsible.
Per Ecler’s own statement: “Every day we are more green. We take care of the environment (by) saving energy, using non-contaminant components, & recycling materials.”
- Higher Efficiency – By using SPM (Shock Pulse Method) patented technology (74% more efficient than the 50% of traditional bipolar transistor technology & Class D Amplifiers.)
- NonContaminant Components – All of which are leadfree
- Recycled Materials – 70% of Ecler’s packaging is recycled
- Energy Savings – When NXA amplifiers are used, 61% of energy is saved as compared to that of standard amplifiers
Planar is another very good example of an environmentally-conscious organization. Their displays are outfitted with energy-saving features which use LED technology that’s mercury-free, & – according to the company’s website – “Planar uses an EMS (Environmental Management System) to establish goals related to regulatory compliance, resource usage, transportation, material selection, & waste disposal.” (This is all reported annually in the “Corporate Environmental Report” published on Planar’s website – planar.com)
More & more companies are jumping on the bandwagon, creating a plethora of products which support the green campaign. From flat panel screens that feature CO2 sensors…to interactive touch screens that are overlaid with protection against bacteria & germs…to using solar panels for powering AV technology…to automatic shading control…the list goes on. This is great news for all of planet Earth’s inhabitants! All in all, it looks like the AV industry as a whole is moving in the right – & green direction.
Besides the obvious positive ecological effects that being green offers, there’s the additional gain of cost effectiveness. Sure – it may be that the initial output for greening is slightly greater, but in the end, the savings over-time is astonishing – & well-worth the higher up-front price tag. The benefits reaped come mainly from the overall savings in an organization’s power bill, as the direct result of choosing to employ more energy-efficient AV technology. Putting all of this in-place can increase ROI, simply by decreasing annual expenditures on material, travel, & resources.
Below is a list of just some of the manufacturers who are offering more environmentally-conscious solutions:
Crestron
Ecler/Almo
Extron
Hitachi
Lab.Gruppen
Panasonic
Planar
Samsung
Sharp
TOA
Want to learn more about how to make your organization more AV-Green? Contact CAPTUS SYSTEMS to find-out how we can help make your Audio-Visual goals a reality. We’re here to answer any questions you may have. Give us a call at 212-400-1616, or e-mail us at hello@captussystems.com.
Thank you!