Are you green when it comes to sustainable design for corporate AV? Here are five things to consider as you begin your journey along the “Green Brick Road.”

1. Do your homework. Just because an idea is touted as being “green” doesn’t mean it is. This is where third party certifications can be helpful. Has the product been certified by a neutral organization, such as GREENGUARD or Green Seal?

2. Don’t sacrifice. Just because a product is green doesn’t mean it can’t perform–nor should it. By choosing a green product that meets performance specs, you improve the chances that it will actually be used, and not replaced in six months with something that is not nearly so environmentally friendly, but which does the job.

3. Think big picture. Sustainability works best as part of an overall design strategy. For example, using more windows for daylighting will save on electricity used to light a room, but for maximum benefit glare and heat transference issues must also be addressed, through window treatments and specification of proper projection surfaces.

4. Decide what is most important to you and your client. Some products are highly efficient; others give off low VOC (volatile organic compound) levels; some may even operate through sustainable means. Sometimes you can find a product that combines several of these advantages, but often different products will have only one “green” advantage, and you must decide which is most important. For example, should you install a product that is made of 100% post-consumer recycled materials, or one that contains no PVCs and does not off-gas VOCs?

5. Confused? Deal with an expert. Find out if the manufacturers you work with have LEED-Accredited Professionals (accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council) on staff and talk to them. If you’re really gung-ho, seek LEED-AP status yourself!

For more information, visit www.draperinc.com/go/green.