1. Reduce Carbon Emissions with Video Conferencing

Video conferencing allows collaborative high definition video meetings around the globe, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A typical flight from Vancouver to Toronto produces 1,173 lbs CO2 (532 kg) CO2. Companies like LifeSize Technologies are producing HD Video conferencing solutions that allow you to reduce travel; saving time, money, and carbon emissions instantly. Video conferencing users can often see a complete return on investment in as little as a single trip.

HD Video Conferencing can have quick environmental payback for local applications too. Many organizations are using HD Video Conferencing to reduce intra-city travel between offices, or between suppliers and their customers. The time savings for both customer and supplier can be significant, you've taken a car off the road, and in many cases the customer experience is enhanced by bringing subject matter experts into meetings they otherwise wouldn't have been able to join.

2. Eliminate VOC's in Projection Screens

Screen manufacturer, Da-Lite, have been producing projection screens for nearly 100 years. But that hasn't stopped them from taking a leading role in reducing harmful emissions including volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) from their screens. Like many fabric and materials, projection screens have traditionally been producers of VOC's. Many screen materials now meet GreenGuard™ indoor air quality standards. The selection of the screen surface for a project can have a positive environmental impact on the project, and enhance the air quality of the workplace environment. Da-Lite makes it easy to be low VOC friendly by making this the standard on many of their most popular projection screens.

3. Lower Power Consumption

Power consumption on flat panels was significantly reduced when display technologies moved from Plasma to LCD, and has taken another large step forward with the advent of LED backlit LCD Displays. Reduced power consumption can significantly reduce an organization's environmental impact while providing direct and measurable savings.

There are several factors that affect TV or display power usage, including: screen size, technology type, and picture brightness settings.

Screen Size - A 32' LCD display typically uses about half the power as a 52' display.

Display Technologies:

Average plasma: 301 watts

Average LCD: 111 watts

Average LED LCD: 101 watts

One of the most effective ways to reduce display power consumption is to turn the display off. Too often in a workplace environment, projectors, displays and other technologies are accidentally left on. This can waste power consumption and prematurely wear out your displays. Control technologies can automate this function and ensure displays are not left on unnecessarily. The most common way is to schedule auto-shutoffs at a pre-scheduled time, or to install an on-off timer that shuts the display off when no use is detected.

4. Monitor Consumption

Tied closely to reduced power consumption is the ability to proactively monitor power consumption within an office space or a specific meeting room.

Crestron electronics, best known for audiovisual and lighting control systems, now offers a product called the TPMC-4SM which is a network linked room scheduling solution. The scheduling functionality alone is very impressive and allows users to quickly and easily view if rooms are available, as well as modify the room use schedule right on the touch panel, all completely integrated with your organization's MS Exchange server.

But in addition to the scheduling functionality, this unit can be configured to display energy usage in the room, making users more aware of the impact of power consumption and costs of their meetings. As with all Crestron products the graphical interface is almost infinitely modifiable to allow the most critical information to be displayed.

5. Automate your Lighting and Environmental Control

Crestron is regarded as the world's leader in automation solutions for the workplace. Crestron is most commonly associated with audio visual systems control, but their wide range of commercial lighting and workplace automation solutions can make a significant positive impact on power consumption in the workplace.

Environmental automation in the workplace can coordinate lighting, HVAC, and window coverings to optimize environmental performance and reduce power consumption. Utilizing scheduled, or light/temperature triggered window coverings can reduce the demands on the air conditioning within a facility, as can lighting. Cost savings can be tracked and recorded for enhanced awareness of energy efficiency.

6. Cleaner Manufacturing Practices

Improved manufacturing practices such as those outlined in the ROHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) Directive are reducing hazardous materials in electronics equipment. The ROHS Directive was adopted in February 2003 by the European Union and took effect on 1 July 2006. This directive restricts the use of six hazardous materials:

1. Lead (Pb)
2. Mercury (Hg)
3. Cadmium (Cd)
4. Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+)
5. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
6. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)

7. Utilize Electronics Recycling

Too often, surplus electronic equipment fills landfills and can introduce hazardous contaminants. Responsible users of electronic equipment should develop internal policy for the appropriate disposal of electronic equipment. For more information on electronic recycling, please visit Encorp Pacific who is a local provider of electronics recycling services at http://www.encorp.ca/electronics

As many of us have fought through tough economic times in the past year, one common sentiment from many of our customers revolves around the requirement for even stronger and more effective internal communications. Our customers are investing in communications like never before. Not only are they seeking to improve personal intercommunication, but there is also a drive to unite workforces and provide consistent and timely messaging and communications. This drive toward communication efficiency manifests itself in several ways.

Thank you for taking the time to read a post on my blog. As an entrepreneur in the audio visual industry, I have the opportunity to interact with many businesses both large and small. I've long been a keen observer of people, and specifically as it relates to management practices. In visiting many companies, I get a taste of both good and not so good management practices and have the unique opportunity to apply them in my own business for the benefit of me, my partners, our employees, and our customers. I welcome feedback and look forward to sharing constructive dialog on these and other related topics.

As I write this blog entry, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is just around the corner. What this means to the City in the long run is still to be answered. What it means to small and large businesses alike is even more of a mystery.

While many small businesses have enjoyed run-up benefits from the planned arrival of the world's greatest sporting event, there are just as many who are uncertain as to the direct value that the games will bring to their business. Specifically, many business owners are uncertain of the disruption that the games will bring to their business and are questioning whether they should remain open or closed during the games period.