The Best Energy Efficiency Questions to Ask Your AV Consultant
Published January 25, 2023
Europe is in an energy crisis right now. We’re not feeling the squeeze here in the United States as much as our fellow humans across the pond. It is a good reminder to examine the energy efficiency of your building’s audiovisual systems.
If you have not had to think about energy efficiency before, you may not know the right questions to ask. Keep reading for five reasons to be energy efficient and the five questions to ask your audiovisual consultant or integrator.
Benefits of an Energy Efficiency Audiovisual System
Why does energy efficiency even matter? Here are five reasons why energy efficiency should be a goal when designing your audiovisual system with a consultant.
- Environmental Benefits: Using energy efficient systems can help reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants, leading to a healthier planet and a more sustainable future.
- Reduced Waste: By making use of energy efficient practices, you can reduce the amount of waste generated, leading to a cleaner and healthier environment.
- Lower Operating Costs: Implementing energy efficient practices can help reduce energy costs, leading to greater savings in the long term.
- Increased Productivity: Energy efficient systems can help reduce the amount of time and labor required to complete tasks, resulting in increased productivity.
- Improved Longevity: Extra heat in a system rack can be the cause of premature failure of devices. Energy efficient systems generate less heat and keep systems operational longer.
Energy Efficiency Questions to Ask Your AV Consultant
If you’re working with an audiovisual consultant or integrator, there are few questions you can ask to be confident the systems they are designing for you are energy efficient.
“Will the equipment be energy efficient?“
An audiovisual system can draw a lot of power. Audio amplifiers, flat panel displays, projectors, and DVLED walls are all power-hungry culprits. If any of these are in your system, ask about their energy efficiency. There are some energy efficiency standards for manufacturers out there such as Energy Star.
“Will the system be automated and sequenced?“
By automating the start-up and shut-down sequence of the system, you make it easier for end users to start their work and get out when they’re done. People already struggle to hit a single light switch on the way out of a room, why make them have to remember a sequence of buttons? Designers can even incorporate an occupancy sensor to make sure the system is powered down when not in use.
“Will we be able to monitor our energy usage?“
Thanks to the Internet of Things, many new audiovisual devices on the market have remote monitoring capability. While some of them require a subscription, they can allow you to monitor your energy usage and even get notifications if something is not working properly.
“How will this system contribute to the building’s LEED certification?”
If you are aiming for a LEED Silver or above certification, the audiovisual system will certainly factor into the rating. While regular for architects, some integrators may have a LEED Accredited Professional or LEED AP on staff who has been certified by LEED.
For more information on LEED building certification, visit the USGBC website.
“Do you follow the ANSI/INFOCOMM 4:2012 Audiovisual Systems Energy Management standard?”
Set forth by AVIXA, this peer reviewed standard details how to design and manage an energy efficient audiovisual system. It was updated in 2019 to accommodate any size system and be more accessible to smaller integrators and designers.
Overall, when asked these questions, the integrator or consultant should make an effort to demonstrate their design is energy efficient to you. If you’re looking for an integrator in Wisconsin who can design an energy efficient audiovisual system, consider Arrow AV Group. From simple user interfaces to energy efficient head ends, we design and integrate excellent systems to drive your success.
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We are a premiere audiovisual integration firm serving corporate, government, healthcare, house of worship, and education markets with easy-to-use solutions that drive success. Family-owned and operated from Appleton, WI for over 35 years.