Technology trends – specifying sustainable AV equipment

Is there such thing as green AV? TFA looks at the issues as the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre aims for a sustainable AV refresh. One of Australia’s foremost event venues, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), is the first convention centre in the world to be awarded a ‘6 Star’ rating in the Green Star environmental rating system for buildings. MCEC uses solar panels to provide 100% of public amenity hot water requirements, deploys radiant slab heating and cooling, and has used low VOC (volatile organic compounds) throughout its building for nearly four years.
 In keeping with the sustainability agenda, MCEC had environmental considerations on its mind when it came to choosing its supplier of video projection technology. MCEC’s director of technology operations, Michael Walsh said: “We were really on the hunt for the right product for our customers. The projectors are part of a continuing investment in technology at MCEC to ensure that we keep meeting our customer’s needs and lead industry when it comes to new products and innovation.” MCEC decided to opt for F35 and F85 projectors from Norway’s projectiondesign. MCEC boasts 52 meeting rooms of various sizes, a gala dinner space called the Melbourne Room, a spectacular entry-level foyer and a 5,500+ capacity plenary that can be divided into three self-contained, acoustically-separate theatres, and 30,000 square metres of exhibition space. projectiondesign’s projectors are now used in 24 rooms at the convention centre and six meeting rooms in the exhibition centre– many with alternative pairings of projectors and screens so that they can be used as long, deep rooms or as wide, shallow spaces. MCEC’s technology services manager, Paul Rumble, explains that environmental considerations were included in his team’s planning of the equipment upgrade. “We value the environment and seek ways to lead industry in all areas of our business. When it came to the procurement process parameters such as power consumption and lamp usage had to be identified for each model in the proposal, as well as current replacement cost for servicing and replacement parts like lamps, filters and coolant.”@page_break@The projectors were supplied by the manufacturer’s Australia and New Zealand distribution partner Hills Sound, Vision and Lighting Group (Hills SVL Group) and installed by local systems integration firm Rigoni Hall. Andrew Shearer, brand manager, AV at Hills SVL Group, comments: “Both projectiondesign and ourselves worked closely with Rigoni Hall in putting together a compelling offer for MCEC’s projector refresh. Among the key elements of our proposal were the ruggedness and reliability of the projectors’ DLP light-source technology, the ability of the projectors to operate 24/7 without any variation in performance, and their predictable cost of ownership.” Mike Hall of Rigoni Hall confirms the strength of the supply chain throughout the tender, design, and installation phases. “Our company has 32 years’ experience in audiovisual and related industries, so we understand the importance of specifying leading-edge technology that is also robust and trustworthy. Designed for 24/7 operation, with no filters and a variant of UHPTM lamp technology to increase longevity, the F35 and F85 projectors deliver outstanding reliability and performance, as well as a low total cost of ownership, to MCEC.” Jason Coy, regional manager, Australia & New Zealand at projectiondesign, concludes: “Our F35 is the world’s only WQXGA projector which, because it offers almost double the pixel count of comparable units, reduces the channel count in complex systems by up to half – and does much the same to operating costs. The other model used in Melbourne, the F85, is our top-of-the-range DLP projector, boasting 3-chip technology for the ultimate in brightness and industry-leading colour performance. “Both models of projector have already been well received by MCEC staff and their customers alike. This is a landmark installation for projectiondesign and we are delighted to support MCEC’s commitment to sustainable technology.” Pictures: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Center and Chris Holder, Alchemedia www.projectiondesign.com