06.06.2007 — Integrating “green” technology into homes seems to be the talk of the town these days. GE has recently announced a green homebuilder program, the CEA is promoting tech recycling through greenelectronics.org and integrators like Ambiance Systems are focusing on user- and environmentally-friendly systems.

On the manufacturing side, many vendors are highlighting environmental responsibility as part of their marketing efforts. Sharp was one of the first video display makers to actively promote the environmental efficiency of their operation, from their factory’s eco-footprint to their choice of packaging materials. Their eco-Web site provides a lot of detail on both their commitment to improving the impact of their operations, as well as their philanthropic work with environmental awareness groups.

Smaller vendors are also promoting their environmental awareness. Noble Fidelity, a loudspeaker manufacturer based in Nevada, actively promotes their compliance with the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive. “For the simple fact that governing bodies such as the European Union and the state of California have established guidelines to limit the pollution of the planet, we see it as our responsibility and opportunity to comply with these guidelines as closely as possible in our business endeavors,” says Carole Brewer of Noble Fidelity.

Many municipalities in the United States have begun to consider legislation along the lines of the RoHS, and Noble Fidelity has chosen to voluntarily meet those compliance requirements. According to their Web site:

The RoHS Directive bans the placing on the European Market (EU) certain electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed upon levels of Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated Biphenyl and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether, effective July 1st 2006.

As custom integrators, we have a unique opportunity to promote the energy savings that home automation systems can offer. Both Crestron and Lutron, in their lighting control systems training, say that by setting the max brightness on bulbs to 95 percent, a homeowner’s electricity consumption can be cut by up to 20 percent to 30 percent.

In addition, by setting the home controller to predetermined light levels dependent upon an astronomical clock, we can vary the intensity of the home’s light based upon the amount of daylight from one month to the next. Tie in motion sensing-based control to the highest traffic and occupancy areas and you can manage energy use to an even finer degree.

Motorized window coverings have taken off in mid-to-large installations, and the energy savings can be huge. By programming the window coverings to deploy during the hottest times of the day in the summer, you can significantly reduce the demands on your home’s air conditioning.

Lastly, by integrating HVAC control into control systems, we can custom program temperature set-points for the homeowner, simplifying control of their heating and air conditioning, while incorporating sophisticated logic.

For example, a homeowner returning from vacation can revive their house from “away” mode via their laptop. Their home will gradually fire up to a comfortable level, using less energy than by just resetting the thermostat manually when they get home.

Using multiple in-home sensors in different locations will allow the system to poll and average the home’s ambient temperatures and adjust the heating or cooling more efficiently. The net result will be savings on the homeowner’s utility bills, and more money that they can spend with you later.

These are simple tools for promoting a greener home integration, from more environmentally-friendly products to control systems that improve the home’s energy use. Doubtless there are more innovations just around the corner.

So far in my area, the demand for green integration has been looming on the horizon without really manifesting. Despite a really big media push for the idea of a “green” home, we haven’t yet seen a lot of traction with homeowners.

With that said, it is still very early for the concept, and I anticipate that we will see the trend begin to grow.

In the past year, I have only encountered one homeowner who could have been qualified as “very concerned” about the environmental impact of his audio/visual decisions. At the time, I admit to being under prepared to accommodate his needs, and we were unable to embark on a project that would satisfy him.

Going forward, we in the industry now have many more resources at our disposal to promote AV and integration with a green thumb.

Lee Distad is a CEDIA Certified Professional Designer for Systems Inc, a high-end audio/video and automation firm in Edmonton, Alberta. For 19 years, Systems Inc has provided consolidated design, installation, and project management services for new home construction and renovation. Systems Inc’s new Web site is under construction at http://www.systemsinc.ca and Lee’s business and industry blog can be read at http://www.leedistad.com