Message Digest

In 2010, there are moreopportunities than ever before to be recognized for your contributions to theAV industry – individually and for your business. Now's the time to submitentries and nominations.

InfoComm Awards

 New this year, InfoComm willrecognize AV professionals who are taking a lead in adopting green measureswhether in the manufacturing of products, the design, programming, orintegration of AV systems, the staging of events or the implementation ofsustainable initiatives in the workplace. The InfoComm Green AV Awards will be presented for the first time atthe 2^nd Annual InfoComm 100 April 30, 2010 in Virginia.

 InfoComm is acceptingnominations for the InfoComm Green AVAwards now along with Infocomm YoungAV Professionals Awards, InfoCommWomen in AV Awards and Adele DeBerri Pioneers of AV Awards. Nominations are due March 2, 2010. For moreinformation and to submit online nominations, click here.    

We are in completion stages of a LEED Silver facility. In this facility, the client is using utility monitoring software, providing the students with real time monitoring showing  how conservative or wasteful they are being. They plan to have contests between groups of students to teach energy conservation practices. My concern is that the dashboard monitoring is to be displayed throughout the facility on a number of 40" LCD displays, which seemed contradictory to the goal of conservation.

I had a discussion with Richard Blackwell about how to incorporate electrical and sustainability classifications into the VidCAD data structure.  He recommended that I post these questions on the Green AV, Software for Sustainability and BIM InfoCOMM SIGs.

For years, VidCAD has been used to create drawings and reports on the power consumption and air conditioning loads of racks and rooms.  An example of this is in our sample drawing RedBook p31: http://vidcad.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=57

We are looking to improve our data structures-adding additional fields and reporting capability for our customers to manage their Sustainability targets.  This poses careful examination of current and potential future standards and measurements. 

The goals are to create meaningful sustainability reports and to provide critical information which can flow in and out of a designer's engineering, whether that is in AutoCAD, REVIT or IFC's.

I would appreciate some feedback on the following items:

Current VidCAD power fields:

1.       Amps

2.       Watts

3.       Volts

Considering clarifying these with the following fields:

4.       AC/DC--Boolean

5.       Change Amps to CalculatedAmps.  Thus, by linking amps, watts and volts, the user can enter any 2 and find the third by applying Ohm's Law.

6.       Add FuseAmps.  I have found that the amps or calculated amps from spec sheets are difficult to assess in power consumption.  Is the power specified at startup (max), normal or average?  I would rather trust the amps listed on the fuse for real max power consumption.  Too often when a breaker is turned on in a rack or room, all the equipment goes on and then browns out because startup power was not considered.  Unfortunately, this is not normally on spec sheets.

7.       Change Volts to a drop-down which would include these common specs, plus a "fill-in-the-blank" option:

a.       1

b.       3

c.       6

d.       9

e.       12

f.        24

g.       70

h.       110

i.        220

j.        110/220

k.       440

l.        Other (type entry)

Are there any other standard voltages that we should include?

8.       Add StandbyWatts.  This appears to be the trend for specifying standby power consumption.

Should we continue to just look at wattage for AC Load?  I often use Watts x Pi, which comes very close to the AC engineer's calculation if you assume all power is converted into heat. 

The next issue is Sustainability Standards.  How can we effectively categorize these standards in a meaningful way?

Any suggestions on how these can be categorized in a database for easy use?  What can be derived from these standards for preparing sustainability reports?  Can they be used by an engineer, owner or facility manager to prepare an estimate of savings?  Compliance?

Another area I would appreciate assistance is in control and temperature.  With temperature, we currently have fields for temp_high and temp_low.  Richard Blackwell suggested we include at least these fields:

He also suggested I post this on the Green AV, Software for Sustainability and Building Information Modeling SIGs.

Of course, getting this data consistently is difficult, and leaves a lot to the end-user.  I would note that manufacturers are not supporting the InfoCOMM EZip standard-any more than they supported the earlier specs recommendations, like SMPTE's Engineer-Friendly Documentation.  When will manufacturers understand they should not subject their resellers, consultants and end-users to be clerk-typists and spec archivists!  If they could be persuaded to support this standard, we have already prepared our data structures to allow for direct input.  But…

Thank you for taking the time to read this e-mail.  I look forward to your responses.

In museums, we've incorporated ZigBee technology to change the content experienced by the individual.

Can you recommend some makes & models of 40" or larger displays that you have used that have instantaneous start up? It has been my experience, with new, brand name displays, (installed earlier this month) that they have required almost 10 seconds before producing content. I am also interested in seeing if the displays keep their HDCP encryption authentication active while dormant.

Actually, motion sensors are already being integrated directly into monitors - even for desktop displays. For example, the L2251X from Lenovo. This monitor uses 21 or 28 watts based on ambient light level sensor feedback, and turns itself off via a programmable proximity sensor. Deployed in a large facility such as a call center or computer lab, the savings is estimated at 33% better than other energy-efficient monitors during normal use times alone. The savings generated by the unit being automatically turned off at all other times would increase power savings even further.

On a larger signage display (LCD, OLED or LED but not plasma), the power-up sequence is essentially instantaneous, and the power-down sequence can be programmed for a long enough delay that the display does not power off/on unnecessarily.

Even in a busy classroom building, there are periods during the day when hallways are virtually deserted and power and unit life savings achieved during the evenings, weekends and holidays would provide significant cost savings - more than enough to pay for the sensor and any programming required (if not already on-board) within the first year of operation.

The potential for signage and desktop display energy savings in a public facility is enormous, and sensors should be used on virtually all digital signage displays IMHO.

The use of an occupancy sensor is novel idea for an office. I'm not sure it would be beneficial on a school campus. I'm thinking it of the startup delay time an LCD requires, and with the number of students passing by, that it would be a bad practice to turn the LCD monitors on & off repeatedly.

We are in completion stages of a LEED Silver facility. In this facility, the client is using utility monitoring software, providing the students with real time monitoring showing how conservative or wasteful they are being. They plan to have contests between groups of students to teach energy conservation practices. My concern is that the dashboard monitoring is to be displayed throughout the facility on a number of 40" LCD displays, which seemed contradictory to the goal of conservation.

Can you recommend some makes & models of 40" or larger displays that you have used that have instantaneous start up? It has been my experience, with new, brand name displays, (installed earlier this month) that they have required almost 10 seconds before producing content. I am also interested in seeing if the displays keep their HDCP encryption authentication active while dormant.

Actually, motion sensors are already being integrated directly into monitors - even for desktop displays. For example, the L2251X from Lenovo. This monitor uses 21 or 28 watts based on ambient light level sensor feedback, and turns itself off via a programmable proximity sensor. Deployed in a large facility such as a call center or computer lab, the savings is estimated at 33% better than other energy-efficient monitors during normal use times alone. The savings generated by the unit being automatically turned off at all other times would increase power savings even further.

On a larger signage display (LCD, OLED or LED but not plasma), the power-up sequence is essentially instantaneous, and the power-down sequence can be programmed for a long enough delay that the display does not power off/on unnecessarily.

Even in a busy classroom building, there are periods during the day when hallways are virtually deserted and power and unit life savings achieved during the evenings, weekends and holidays would provide significant cost savings - more than enough to pay for the sensor and any programming required (if not already on-board) within the first year of operation.

The potential for signage and desktop display energy savings in a public facility is enormous, and sensors should be used on virtually all digital signage displays IMHO.

The use of an occupancy sensor is novel idea for an office. I'm not sure it would be beneficial on a school campus. I'm thinking it of the startup delay time an LCD requires, and with the number of students passing by, that it would be a bad practice to turn the LCD monitors on & off repeatedly.

We are in completion stages of a LEED Silver facility. In this facility, the client is using utility monitoring software, providing the students with real time monitoring showing how conservative or wasteful they are being. They plan to have contests between groups of students to teach energy conservation practices. My concern is that the dashboard monitoring is to be displayed throughout the facility on a number of 40" LCD displays, which seemed contradictory to the goal of conservation.

Can you recommend some makes & models of 40" or larger displays that you have used that have instantaneous start up? It has been my experience, with new, brand name displays, (installed earlier this month) that they have required almost 10 seconds before producing content. I am also interested in seeing if the displays keep their HDCP encryption authentication active while dormant.

Actually, motion sensors are already being integrated directly into monitors - even for desktop displays.  For example, the L2251X from Lenovo.  This monitor uses 21 or 28 watts based on ambient light level sensor feedback, and turns itself off via a programmable proximity sensor.  Deployed in a large facility such as a call center or computer lab, the savings is estimated at 33% better than other energy-efficient monitors during normal use times alone.  The savings generated by the unit being automatically turned off at all other times would increase power savings even further.

On a larger signage display (LCD, OLED or LED but not plasma), the power-up sequence is essentially instantaneous, and the power-down sequence can be programmed for a long enough delay that the display does not power off/on unnecessarily.

Even in a busy classroom building, there are periods during the day when hallways are virtually deserted and power and unit life savings achieved during the evenings, weekends and holidays would provide significant cost savings - more than enough to pay for the sensor and any programming required (if not already on-board) within the first year of operation.

The potential for signage and desktop display energy savings in a public facility is enormous, and sensors should be used on virtually all digital signage displays IMHO.

The use of an occupancy sensor is novel idea for an office. I'm not sure it would be beneficial on a school campus. I'm thinking it of the startup delay time an LCD requires, and with the number of students passing by, that it would be a bad practice to turn the LCD monitors on & off repeatedly.

We are in completion stages of a LEED Silver facility. In this facility, the client is using utility monitoring software, providing the students with real time monitoring showing  how conservative or wasteful they are being. They plan to have contests between groups of students to teach energy conservation practices. My concern is that the dashboard monitoring is to be displayed throughout the facility on a number of 40" LCD displays, which seemed contradictory to the goal of conservation.

Can you recommend some makes & models of 40" or larger displays that you have used that have instantaneous start up? It has been my experience, with new, brand name displays, (installed earlier this month) that they have required almost 10 seconds before producing content. I am also interested in seeing if the displays keep their HDCP encryption authentication active while dormant.

Actually, motion sensors are already being integrated directly into monitors - even for desktop displays.  For example, the L2251X from Lenovo.  This monitor uses 21 or 28 watts based on ambient light level sensor feedback, and turns itself off via a programmable proximity sensor.  Deployed in a large facility such as a call center or computer lab, the savings is estimated at 33% better than other energy-efficient monitors during normal use times alone.  The savings generated by the unit being automatically turned off at all other times would increase power savings even further.

On a larger signage display (LCD, OLED or LED but not plasma), the power-up sequence is essentially instantaneous, and the power-down sequence can be programmed for a long enough delay that the display does not power off/on unnecessarily.

Even in a busy classroom building, there are periods during the day when hallways are virtually deserted and power and unit life savings achieved during the evenings, weekends and holidays would provide significant cost savings - more than enough to pay for the sensor and any programming required (if not already on-board) within the first year of operation.

The potential for signage and desktop display energy savings in a public facility is enormous, and sensors should be used on virtually all digital signage displays IMHO.

The use of an occupancy sensor is novel idea for an office. I'm not sure it would be beneficial on a school campus. I'm thinking it of the startup delay time an LCD requires, and with the number of students passing by, that it would be a bad practice to turn the LCD monitors on & off repeatedly.

We are in completion stages of a LEED Silver facility. In this facility, the client is using utility monitoring software, providing the students with real time monitoring showing  how conservative or wasteful they are being. They plan to have contests between groups of students to teach energy conservation practices. My concern is that the dashboard monitoring is to be displayed throughout the facility on a number of 40" LCD displays, which seemed contradictory to the goal of conservation.

Can you recommend some makes & models of 40" or larger displays that you have used that have instantaneous start up? It has been my experience, with new, brand name displays, (installed earlier this month) that they have required almost 10 seconds before producing content. I am also interested in seeing if the displays keep their HDCP encryption authentication active while dormant.

Thanks for your input,

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James Michalski CTS
M/E Engineering
Senior Systems Designer
NY
USA
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