October 30, 2023 | Reviewed by Sam Scott

In a world increasingly conscious of its environmental footprint, commercial building designers are now tasked with managing economic sensibility alongside their more recently prioritized ecological responsibilities.

The ongoing quest to reduce operating expenses is now tightly bound with the urgent need to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Fortunately, these goals can be made in alignment. Per the World Green Building Council’s landmark report Beyond the Business Case, sustainably built buildings reduce ongoing energy costs, enable access to new funding opportunities, and increase asset values.

Given that generating energy for commercial buildings has a significant impact on the environment—776 million metric tons of CO2 were emitted during 2021 in the US alone, an 8% increase from 2020—building sustainability is not merely a cost-saving strategy but a crucial step toward environmental stewardship.

So what role can AV play in advancing sustainability?

The truth is, it's easy to overlook the impact of audiovisual systems when analyzing commercial buildings’ carbon footprint.

Agencies that track energy usage tend not to include “audiovisual” as an end use. So, we need to look to other categories as partial proxies when considering the impact of AV systems on energy efficiency.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2018, computing accounted for 4% of commercial building energy consumption, while lighting accounted for 10% and 17% is attributed to other.

Now, it’s possible that video boards and speaker systems are included in that 17% “other,” but given that audiovisual components comprise just a fraction of a modern building’s computational power and merely influence lighting usage via automation and control, it’s safe to assume that AV technology does not consume a significant percentage of the total energy used in most commercial buildings.

Still, a small percentage of total energy consumption does not mean we’re talking about a small amount of energy — that 4% computing consumption represents 270 trillion Btu in commercial buildings across the US, and rising.

Every piece of technology contributes to a facility’s overall energy usage.

Let's dive into the layers of how AV components can support sustainable practices, from optimizing energy consumption to aligning with the broader mission of green building design.

Sustainable Practices In AV Systems Design

There are several features available on modern audiovisual equipment that will reduce energy consumption over time. Here are two that are associated with audio amplifiers:

Standby mode
Many amplifiers will enter “standby” when they are not receiving an input signal. Standby mode is just as it sounds: the device remains on but in a state of reduced power consumption as it awaits — or stands by — for a signal.

Most amplifiers in commercial settings sit idle for many hours each day, and standby mode will drastically reduce energy consumption during this time. You should double-check that this option is turned on when your device is installed — it’s often not enabled by default.

For quality and performance, you’ll also want an amplifier that can wake up from standby mode quickly, such as the Extron XPA 1002, which returns to full power within a second of detecting a new signal. You don’t want any delay when it’s time for the show to start.

Intelligent power allocation
Some multi-channel amplifiers can allocate power across channels. This helps quite a bit, as amplifiers rarely use the full extent of their power — they are specified to handle loud “peaks” of sound, while most audio content might only require 60% of the channel’s capacity or less.

Further, different speakers may require more or less power from each channel. Let’s say you need 60% of an amp’s power for a subwoofer and 40% for the rest of the speakers. In a typical 4-channel x 200-watt amplifier, there isn’t an easy way to allocate the wattage efficiently.

But with intelligent power allocation — or Rational Power Management as it’s called by Lab Gruppen — you can share power across channels without having to over-spec them and waste energy.

The Issue Of Heat

AV equipment and, indeed, all electronics generate heat. The circuitry inside electronic equipment contains many components, such as resistors and transistors, that have resistance — either by design or inefficiency. That resistance transforms some electrical energy into heat, which dissipates from the equipment. The energy lost as heat is, appropriately, called heat loss.

In terms of energy conservation, the challenge isn't just powering the equipment; it's also the added load on the building's cooling system to mitigate this heat.

When a large AV system is installed, racks and racks of AV equipment can create a lot of heat! This heat has to be managed somehow, and it typically puts a burden on the facility’s cooling system.

So how can this heat load be reduced?

1. Standby and shutoff settings
   Amplifiers aren’t the only devices that can be made to power down. Displays, projectors and network switches have settings which will power them off or put them in standby after a period of inactivity — just make sure you have a strategy to wake them back up when required.
   
   Often, the best strategy is to create a schedule in your control interface to power things down in certain scenarios, such as at the end of the workday.
   

2. Occupancy sensors
   Alternatively, you can use occupancy sensors to detect when people are in a room. With occupancy sensors, an AV system can send control signals to all manner of equipment, instructing them to shut off and back on when needed.
   

Strategies like scheduling control automation, integrating occupancy sensors, and leveraging standby settings can substantially mitigate heat production and energy use, resulting in considerable cost and emission savings over time — plus, these features have the added benefit of prolonging the life of your AV equipment.

AV’s Contribution To LEED And Green Facility Design

True sustainability isn't just about equipment efficiency; it's about the broader commitment to green principles. The LEED rating system is the world’s most widely used green facility assessment framework. And while, again, “audiovisual” is not explicitly mentioned in LEED, Scott Walker, CTS-D and LEED AP notes nine areas where AV can contribute to LEED certification.

Here are some examples of LEED performance score items your AV project can satisfy or improve:

1. Optimizing energy usage beyond baseline ASHRAE standards through control and monitoring (1-10 points)

2. Using an independent commissioning consultant for major building systems (1 point)

3. Allowing users and groups to control thermal and lighting systems – this can be incorporated into touchpanel control systems (1-2 points)

4. Blinds control – LEED for Schools awards points for the quantity of classrooms with daylight and the ability to control blinds systems (1-2 points)

5. Acoustic performance is included in draft versions of LEED certification and will likely be eligible for points in the near future

LEED certification is not merely a badge of honour. It is a dedication to reducing our energy footprint and an acknowledgment of the synergy that can exist between our commercial needs, our personal well-being, and the health of the environment.

Now, while it’s important to make your facilities and systems as efficient as possible, there is a much deeper impact that AV can have on sustainability.

When people can work, communicate, and collaborate remotely, they don’t need to travel as often. This includes travel to the office and across long distances by air.

Embracing Remote Work For A Reduced Carbon Footprint

The silver lining of the COVID pandemic is that it accelerated our adoption of remote collaboration technologies and demonstrated how much we can get done without business travel.

Amazon saved $1 billion in travel expenses before 2020 was finished. That’s simply too big a number to ignore, not to mention the corresponding carbon emission savings. And while many office workers were thrust into a remote work environment against their will, many have now settled into a hybrid routine that better serves the needs of all parties as organizations continue to refine their approach.

If your organization is serious about sustainability, you must embrace this change and create spaces with technology that helps your workforce thrive together from wherever they’re located. The leading solution is to implement high-quality Microsoft Teams Rooms that let your staff feel well-represented in front of their coworkers.

To reap the full benefits of hybrid work without negatively impacting your team’s productivity and well-being, your remote collaboration spaces must support meeting equity. We encourage you to review our article on the subject, but here are the three primary aims of an equitable collaboration space:

1. Every meeting participant feels valued, whether they are at home or in the office.

2. Participants are no less likely to contribute when attending remotely.

3. All participants can easily discern visual and audible information from all sources.

When workers have the tools they need to collaborate and perform across distances, they simply won’t need to make as many trips. And that will make a real impact on your organization’s carbon footprint.

As we step into a future with sustainability at the forefront, we must adopt a holistic approach to managing resource consumption. The commercial AV industry, its equipment, and its customers all have a part to play in reducing carbon emissions and creating better workspaces for ourselves and our environment.

By optimizing energy use, managing heat production, and fostering remote collaboration, we can significantly reduce the environmental impact of commercial buildings. Let’s embrace these changes and work together to create productive spaces where technology and sustainability go hand in hand.

At Chroma, we are committed to guiding our clients through the intricate process of planning, designing, procuring, and installing AV systems that align with their sustainability goals. Our experience with complex projects and proven end-to-end process means we can provide a clear roadmap for successful implementation and the expert oversight you need for a stress-free AV project.

If you have a project in mind or a challenge to discuss, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.