Green is in the news a lot lately – especially with the recent introduction of “The Green New Deal” to Congress, by NY’s Junior Senator, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Senator has taken-on this platform because of her firm belief that climate change is the “single biggest national security threat for the U.S. & the single biggest threat to worldwide industrialized civilization.” Although met with some opposition, Ocasio-Cortez’s plan really does mean well. It calls for eventually meeting 100% of national power demand through renewable resources, & completely eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from transportation – over a period of 10 years. In order to make this happen, it will involve major changes to much of the US’ infrastructure, & to many industries & how they do business overall.
The world of construction is going to look very different a decade from now, & buildings will be more energy efficient than ever before. From the modern-look of exterior facades – to more modern interiors, both in appearance & functionality – organizations are asking for new systems & processes to be put into place. This new & greener construction mindset includes all of the infrastructure that goes into a new build – & the Audio-Visual industry is right in the middle of it all! CAPTUS SYSTEMS is proud & poised to be on the frontline of building the future.
Because the “Green New Deal” calls for the renovation of buildings to make them eco-friendly, more & more organizations are doing their best to become LEED-Certified. (LEED = Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design.) LEED takes into account the entire building – from soup to nuts. The Audio-Visual Industry is taking the positive steps necessary to comply with LEED-Certified organizations, & CAPTUS SYSTEMS is right there on the forefront. One of CAPTUS SYSTEMS’ recent projects involved the design & installation of AV spaces within a Silver-Certified LEED building for Adelphi University, in Garden City, NY. To achieve this, included in the specs were smart bulbs, lamp-less projectors, the removal of unnecessary rack elements, & “Power-down” programming – all of which are in-line with Adelphi’s green initiative.
Interested in how LEED Certification Works? Take a look…
Each LEED project earns points by addressing 9 fundamental areas covering the main aspects of becoming Green Buildings. They are…
– Integrative Process
– Location & Transportation
– Sustainable Sites
– Water Efficiency
– Energy & Atmosphere
– Materials & Resources
– Indoor Environmental Quality
– Innovation
– Regional Priority
There are 4 rating levels that an organization can receive, based on the number of points accrued per the above checklist: LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold, & LEED Platinum. LEED works for all building types at all phases of development – from new construction, to the renovation of existing structures. In order to apply for LEED Certification, an organization must follow these steps:
– Register Your Project
– Submit Your Application
– Your Application is Reviewed by GBCA (Green Building Council of America)
– And if Applicable – Your Project Becomes Certified! (An accomplishment that would surely make any organization proud.)
You can visit the LEED website for more detailed information – http://leed.usgbc.org/leed.html
Companies that are LEEDing the way with certifications include Wells Fargo, Starbucks, Goldman Sachs & Co., Deutsche Bank AG, Marriott, Kohl’s, Novo Nordisk – & many more.
With all of this greening in mind it’s best for any organization looking into new construction or renovating existing structures, to discuss it in the initial stages of planning. Any of the trades involved in designing a new construction project will do their client(s) a great service by helping them to understand the importance of “thinking green” at the very early stages of a job. Architects, general contractors, & AV integrators alike, are all in the unique position to do just that. Working towards attaining LEED Certification definitely involves more research & time put-in to the planning phase of a project, but the results are well-worth the extra time spent. Besides the obvious benefits of creating a healthier & more eco-efficient environment, ROI is also a positive outcome, as creating a LEED building reduces the cost of energy consumption overall. For instance, including products from Crestron’s line of Shading Solutions help greatly in reducing the bottom line. Shading works directly to lower utility bills in that the automated system functions in conjunction with sunlight, to optimize light filtration – which helps with the natural cooling & heating of a room.
Another example of a manufacturer in the AV sector that’s genuinely vested in the Green Movement is Extron. This is made evident by its commitment of ample resources put towards the design of products that are energy-saving. Extron offers Energy Star-qualified power amplifiers & power supplies, along with ultra-efficient CrossPoint Ultra matrix switchers – which draw only 52 watts under a full load. Additionally, their MPX Series of multi-format media presentation switchers use only a fraction of the power of traditional switches.
Major developments in AV technology have vastly improved occupational health & safety, & are helping organizations around the globe to attain their green initiatives – which will ultimately garner LEED Certification. Because so many companies are including AV spaces in their construction projects, this is a substantial step towards accomplishing environmentally-meaningful goals.
Thinking about becoming LEED Certified? Give CAPTUS SYSTEMS a call to find-out how we can help your organization achieve its Green Dreams! You can reach us at 212-400-1616, or by e-mail at Hello@Captus SystemsSystems.com.
Thank you!
To see Part 2 in our series about The AV Industry & the Environment, please click on the following link: https://www.captussystems.com/blog/climate-change–the-av-industry