For AV manufacturers sustainability is not just about doing the right thing for ethical, or environmental reasons. There is also now a commercial imperative. Buyers increasingly want more efficient, low-energy, greener products, even if they cost more. Meanwhile, legislation is ramping up the pressure on everyone in AV to reduce carbon. And that includes the manufacturers, the purchasers and the specifiers.
Companies increasingly recognise that investments in sustainable technologies and practices serve a dual purpose, according to Kateryna Dubrova, senior market analyst, connectivity and services, Futuresource Consulting. She says: “They align with environmental responsibilities while also driving economic benefits, contributing significantly to the bottom line. This realisation is reshaping the industry’s approach to sustainability, underscoring a symbiotic relationship between ecological stewardship and financial performance.”
Cost reductions
A primary economic driver behind adopting sustainable practices in the pro AV industry is cost reduction, she adds. Energy-efficient technologies, such as LED lighting and advanced video walls, decrease operational expenses. For example, installing a 27m x 4m video wall in a studio not only enhances production efficiency, but also leads to substantial savings in operating costs. “The investment streamlines production workflows, enables quicker turnaround times, and reduces the need for extensive lighting and staging crews, demonstrating the economic viability of sustainable investments,” she argues.
Beyond direct cost savings, sustainable practices also enhance brand equity. Today’s consumers are increasingly attracted to brands that demonstrate a commitment to environmental responsibility, she argues. “The use of innovative, sustainable technologies not only improves production quality, but also strengthens the brand’s appeal to a broader audience. This enhanced brand perception can lead to increased engagement and higher commercial revenue, highlighting the interconnected nature of sustainability and market competitiveness.”
The manufacturers agree about the need to maintain a reputation for integrity. Rik Willemse, head of Sony Professional Displays and Solutions Europe, comments: “Sustainability is not a novelty or passing fad. It’s a necessary, permanent addition to what is needed to flourish. Clearly there is pressure on businesses to be more sustainable from both consumers and regulators. Sustainability is a growing priority among consumers, so specifiers that continue with unsustainable practices will struggle to maintain a loyal customer base and may be criticised by regulators.”
Sustainability survey
Confirmation of the industry’s changing attitudes came in a recent Sony survey of 1,000 European AV professionals. It found eight in 10 businesses were willing to pay over 20 percent extra for more sustainable AV products. Meanwhile, a third were willing to pay more than 50 percent extra and around 84 percent said a provider’s sustainability practices were important when choosing an AV partner.
Various sectors now have sustainability codes of practice which dictate what can and cannot be specified, according to Mark Wadsworth, vice president of global marketing, Digital Projection. He observes: “For example, The Theatre Greenbook sets out the journey towards net zero for sustainable theatres. If you’re working in that field, you will surely come across a movement towards sustainable productions and products. If manufacturers and specifiers don’t get on board with sustainability now, then regulation around the corner will force it. It’s much better to get ahead of the curve.”
Regulatory demands will make it imperative to buy lower energy products, but it could end up saving money. Guy Phelps, end user sales manager, Sharp NEC display solutions, says older generation LED solutions were far cheaper,but the financial equation changes when power consumption and heat generation are taken into account, not to mention the cost of fitting and operating additional air conditioning units, cables, vents. He explains: “These additional costs will soon add up over the long lifecycle of LED technology making the latest generation energy efficient product a more appealing solution.”
Three motivations
For Stefan van Sabben, global director CSR and sustainability at TVP, there are three reasons for manufacturers to become more sustainable. First is the intrinsic motivation of creating long-term value. Second is that clients are now asking for greener products. And the third reason is the mounting pressure from legislation, such as the EU’s imminent Digital Product Passport (DPP), which should become mandatory for various products between 2026 and 2030.
Van Sabben says: “With the DPP, transparency is key, because it will make it easier to compare products. It doesn’t matter if it’s an LED display, or LCD, or hotel TV, the passport will show how much CO2 it produces, including transporting its components. Manufacturers will require QR codes for each material. The DPP is coming soon and everyone is aware of it.”
Ahead of the DPP, the 2023 EU Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) has already piled pressure on European companies. It requires large, and listed, companies to publish regular reports on the social and environmental risks they face, and on how their activities impact people and the environment. Van Sabben points out that the CSRD affects a lot of companies, especially when they need to be externally assured. Otherwise there will be financial penalties.
Different strategies
All the regulations outline where manufacturers need to be heading, but they don’t specify how to get there and there are many different routes. Absen, for example, has adopted the Absen Green strategy, which governs its ambition to move towards carbon neutrality through green manufacturing. And Sony has introduced its ‘Make, Move, Use’ framework to drive sustainability. For instance, in the production phase, the company employs SORPLAS, a proprietary recycled plastic developed by Sony, to craft its BRAVIA 4K Professional Displays, reducing CO2 emissions by 57 percent.
Sony’s Rik Willemse adds: “Transitioning to the ‘Move’ aspect, we’ve optimised packaging to be more eco-friendly, reducing weight and size for enhanced transportation efficiency to retailers. These packaging improvements prioritise sustainability by minimising ink usage and promoting recyclability, resulting in approximately a 15 percent reduction of emissions.”
At Digital Projection, Mark Wadsworth says parent company Delta Electronics met its science-based target (SBT) in 2017 four years ahead of the 2021 schedule. Delta obtained the SBTi validation in the same year and became the first high-tech hardware equipment company in Asia to pass the review for net-zero science-based targets.
Sharp NEC, meanwhile, is working on a concept whereby products are initially shipped from the factory in collective packaging, then transferred to the warehouse individually, reducing materials. And Shure has set up a recycling programme that has eliminated more than 20m batteries from being used in the past five years.
An intriguing strategy at PPDS is the introduction of more modular designs to make it easier to replace, or repair, components rather than discarding devices.
Modular magic
Vicky Fox, head of global communications for PPDS, says: “That’s something we’ve started with our D-Line digital signage product. It’s got a more modular backboard and different components can be removed and slotted in to give it an extended lifetime. More modular builds for LED displays allow customers to just swap out broken parts.”
Allied to the manufacturers’ various strategies are a number of more general trends in the AV industry. One important development, according to Absen’s Doris Li, is the move towards using outdoor LED displays, which use far less power than outdoor LCD alternatives. Absen LED, for example, saves up to 35 percent energy compared with previous models. “Features like brightness control and reducing heat dissipation are highlighted to save energy and enhance the environmental impact,” she adds.
For Sony’s Rik Willemse, a significant trend is “intelligent AV design”, which is producing more financially viable sustainable products. Intelligence in AV has already led to more cost-effective developments, such as the BRAVIA HDMI wake-up on signal feature which ensures a display is only operating when needed, he says.
Willemse continues: “Another example is the light sensors in the displays themselves which automatically adjust the brightness of the display to optimise it for the environment thus maximising energy efficiency. Intelligent AV is developing rapidly, and 10 years from now the choice between cost savings and eco-consciousness won’t be such a point of contention, as we’ll see eco-conscious options likely to be both energy and economically efficient.”
Digital Projection’s Mark Wadsworth says the main trend in the projection industry is to seek out more lumens per watt. He says a typical 10,000 lumen projector released only three years ago consumed 1215W in normal mode, whereas the comparable projector now only consumes 583W.
Confusing Certification
Manufacturers keen to display green credentials, however, face a confusing abundance of certificates and it can be hard to evaluate their worth. Guy Phelps, at Sharp NEC, observes: “It’s a minefield. The ideal approach would be a universal declaration of a meaningful formal baseline carbon life cycle measurement. Although this raises the question of who decides this and how to verify it. As it stands, with so many independent standards, clients can pick and choose the ones reflecting their values.”
Kateryna Dubrova, at Futuresource Consulting agrees the multitude of competing eco-certifications has created confusion for both consumers and businesses. She would like to see a unified framework that integrates multiple standards into a universally recognised certification. “This would provide clarity, reduce instances of greenwashing, and establish clear benchmarks for sustainability within pro AV,” she says. “Another crucial factor is to emphasise transparency in the certification process. Ensuring certifications are awarded based on verifiable and consistent criteria is key. Industry-wide collaboration among manufacturers, certification bodies, and stakeholders is essential to creating a more streamlined and effective eco-credentialing system.”
At Sony, Rik Willemse acknowledges the industry needs standardised guidelines, but he cautions against imposing one measure: “If a single, objective certification were to exist it would need to ensure it didn’t impede any attempt by companies to go beyond this, as methods they have prepared may not be valid under a certain authority. Standardised rules need to be set, but as a minimum requirement.”
But Willemse acknowledges that not every eco-certificate is credible and its value may vary depending on the region. “All these factors can devalue the significance of an eco-label and means substantial time needs to be put aside to research each one’s credibility. Within Sony’s own findings, it’s clear certificates from Energy Star and Carbon Trust still stand out despite numerous alternatives.”
Absen, meanwhile, has targeted other options, obtaining environmental standards such as TUV carbon footprint verification and WEEE. “These standards set industry benchmarks and assure compliance with certifications, helping our customers and industry professionals recognise products that align with their green values,” says Absen’s Doris Li.
Long journey
Despite the progress towards a more sustainable AV sector, several commentators say there is a long way to go. Sony’s Rik Willemse quotes Shelley Townend, marketing manager at Universal AV, who admitted “there is still work to be done, […] cost savings still often win out against eco-consciousness”.
And Guy Phelps has similar concerns. He says budgets are still primarily based on upfront capital expenditure. “A manufacturer wants to satisfy customer demand, so commercially speaking, it requires a change of thinking to a total cost of ownership to maximise the benefits of greener products,” he says.
At Digital Projection, Mark Wadsworth believes AV has been a “fantastic enabler” to reduce carbon emissions through the development of tech such as virtual production studios, but there will always be areas that are less than ideal, such as touring and events.
He concludes: “There is a huge push in this world for more sustainability. While the AV industry cannot account for 80 percent of the emissions, which are mainly the result of the mass movement of people, by creating smaller and lighter kit that is cheaper and easier to transport, along with being more power efficient, we can help with this transition.”
