LED-based lighting is touted as 'green' lighting and we have made positive note of its use in e-media facilities and other ICT applications. While it is true that Light-Emitting Diodes produce more lumens per watt that either incandescent or florescent technologies, lamp-to-lamp comparisons fall short when LEDs enable massive new energy consumption. A case in point is digital signage, where a single LED-based outdoor billboard can consume more energy than a typical US home.

The 7 June release by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its building Portfolio Manager will include new features for data centers, both as standalone buildings and as 'spaces' within larger buildings. One of the features is a new ENERGY STAR® rating systems for data center buildings, but not for data center spaces. (A data center space will contribute to the overall ENERGY STAR rating of its building.) Here is how the EPA explains its rating methodology:

Panasonic was one of a few vendors who covered green initiatives in their NAB 2010 show booth. In reply to my post-NAB inquiry, Panasonic sent me the information its professional video group used in its show signage. This ties to Panasonic's corporate Eco Ideas initiative.

Sony was one of a few vendors who covered green initiatives in their NAB 2010 show booth. It responded to my post-NAB query by telling me about a program that is a good example how just about any business can find an industry-specific contribution to make to Green ICT.

That's 'green' as in 'sustainability', not 'green screen'. Here is what I discovered when I went looking for green at the annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show, attended by over 80K people from 150+ countries.

SMART 2020 defines "dematerialization" as the process by which an ICT product or service replaces a high carbon activity with a low carbon one. It concludes that a total dematerialization of CDs and DVDs by online media could reduce global CO2 by 17 million tonnes annually. This assumes 17 billion discs produced annually at 1 kg of CO2 per disc. How does that 1 kg figure stack up against other analyses?

The television broadcast segment of the telecom industry is at the focus of many Green ICT issues, ranging from the e-waste implications of global analog-to-digital conversions to rapidly evolving technologies for studio lighting. Despite the challenges, there is upside here for media enterprises. How are industry conferences preparing broadcasters and others for the challenges and opportunities of Green ICT? I took a look at broadcast conferences around the world.

The DTV conversion is gaining momentum worldwide, along with e-waste problems and solutions.

A comparison of two studies of physical media distribution reveals that manufacturing, not shipment to retail outlets, emits most of the carbon.

Proposed California Energy Commission (CEC) regulations to improve television set energy efficiency by 49% could mean significant changes to its consumer electronics market and possibly that of the United States as a whole. This activity comes at a time when the International Energy Agency is expressing concern about the energy/carbon implications of global television set ownership soaring past the two billion level.