Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP)

In 2009, the InfoComm Board of Directors authorized the creation of a Green AV Task Force. The mission of the group was to create a body of green AV knowledge and associated best practices. While a lot of good work was performed, including the creation of a poster that highlights the steps a company can take to work towards sustainability, the group was unable to meet its mandate because there was/is no generally accepted definition of what a green AV system and there is no clear way to measure or compare a “green AV” installation against a standard “non-green AV” system. 

As a result, the InfoComm Board of Directors has decided to deemphasize the association’s pursuit of LEED innovation points for Green AV and instead create our own AV sustainability rating system.  A new AV Sustainability Task Force made up of representatives from AV manufacturing, integration, consulting, software programming and the technology manager communities was formed to guide the initiative.  It was charged to consider both the sustainability of energy and materials in order to be a comprehensive program.

Members of the AV Sustainability Task Force:

Scott Walker, CTS-D, LEED® AP, Waveguide (Chair)
Clint Childress, Draper Inc.
Rick Cooper, CTS, Spinitar
Alain Durocher, University of Southern California
Gary Hall, CTS-D, CTS-I, Cisco
Brian Huff, CTS-D, LEED® AP, Acentech Inc.
Raymond Kent, CTS, Westlake Reed Leskosky
William Lally, Mode: Green
Howard Nunes, CTS, PepperDash
David Rogers, Compass Group
Byron Tarry, CTS, LEED® AP, AVW TELAV
David Wilts, Crestron Electronics

Sustainable Technology Environments Program ^SM or STEP ^SM seeks to learn from and complement LEED, which focuses on the shell and core of a building, by adding a rating system for the electronic systems that work within that shell and core.  The system, now in draft form, invites participation throughout the project -- from AV program phase through occupancy from the entire AV value chain. Now, AV manufacturers will have a place where their green products, shipping practices and facilities can count for something. Consultants, integrators and software programmers will collaborate to share responsibility in the planning, design, integration and programming of systems to minimize energy consumption while still promoting AV quality. Purchasers of AV goods and services will have a clear way to specify their sustainability goals and measure the ROI of their sustainable AV investments.  STEP ^SM is slated to launch in January 2011.

Currently, the task force continues to work on the rating system and has received a lot of terrific feedback from the AV community.  In addition, they are creating a reference guide that will assist those involved in a STEP ^SM project to understand the various credits in detail.

To request a copy of STEP ^SM in draft form, please email Rachel Peterson at rpeterson@infocomm.org. 

In addition to learning from STEP ^SM you can discuss sustainable AV practices on InfoComm's Green AV SIG (special interest group).  The Green AV SIG is a comprehensive resource for those with questions about green AV, those who simply want to share information pertinent to the topic, or those who want to meet others interested in green AV.  The Green AV SIG, an open forum with almost 250 subscribers, is a great way to seek the answers and information you have about green AV from people just like you. To join, please visit http://community.infocomm.org/.