Knoll Systems gives your home music while using less power!
October 29, 2008
We brought your attention to the eco-friendly Knoll Systems GSZ67 whole house distributed music amplifier-controller a few months back. Well if you are looking to have music delivered throughout your home as part of your remodel, and stay eco-friendly by reducing power consumption in the process, then you need to check out the new and even more affordable GSZ44!
The all new GSZ44 controller-amplifier (with keypads included) is just what you need if you want four separate areas of your home to have speakers and music flowing throughout. With the GSZ44, your master retreat and master bath can be tuned to an Elton John CD, while outside the kids are playing in the yard to the sounds of High School Musical 3. All the music coming from your single home stereo! So you decide you’d rather tune to XM satellite, well just press the Source button on the keypad on your bedroom/bathroom wall. Guests at parties can hear the same music throughout your home as they mingle.
For $999, the complete GSZ44 package enables whole house audio distribution in four separate areas of your home, and includes Read more
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Scary Energy Bills? Rid yourself of vampire power in 2009
October 27, 2008
Is your energy bill scary? Slaying energy vampires during your remodel can help you and Americans save millions.
In the spirit of Halloween, the EPA today warns us all to be on the watch for lurking energy vampires - or vampire power. These are the electronics and adapters that consume electricity when they are not being used. Power adapters and phone chargers are easy vampires power suckers to spot, and also easy to slay. Every energy vampire you vanquish saves you money, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and helps in the fight against climate change.
“EPA encourages everyone to look for vampires in their home and get rid of this energy waste,” said Brian McLean, director of EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Protection. “Using less energy means Read more
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Hitachi Energy Star plasma televisions, where do they rank?
September 10, 2008
Hitachi showed off their New Plasma HDTVs at the CEDIA Expo in Denver last week.
The new ENERGY STAR compliant plasma televisions from Hitachi are available in two screen sizes (42-inch and 50-inch). GetWithGreen.com compared the operating power levels of the Hitachi 50-inch plasma to the models we discussed with you late last year. The 50-inch models (P50A202 and P50A402) both rank right in the middle of the pack with the other ENERGY STAR plasma televisions.
The A, S, V and X Series are available now. The Hitachi 2008 Plasma Display Panels are priced as follows. In all instances below, pricing indicated is the Manufacturer’s Advertised Price (MAP):
- 42-inch A-Series (model P42A202): $1,399
(Avg Power: 249W, Max Power: 386W) - 50-inch A-Series (models P50A202/P50A402): $1,599 each
(Avg Power: 288W, Max Power: 480W) - 50-inch S-Series (model P50S602): $2,199
(Avg Power: 388W, Max Power: 571W) - 50-inch V-Series (model P50V702): $2,499
Avg Power: 398W, Max Power: 586) - 50-inch X-Series (model P50X902): $3,199
Avg Power: 398, Max Power: 586W)
GetWithGreen.com commends Hitachi for making it easy for buyers to find plasma power consumption numbers in the Hitachi manuals.
The new Hitachi HDTVs feature high gloss Japan black and high gloss crystal frames with manual swivel stands or remote controlled power swivel stands. The new UltraBlack Panels boxed cell structure produces darker blacks and the new proprietary phosphor formulations deliver industry leading deep, rich colors say Hitachi.
The new PictureMaster(TM) VI digital video processor features the second generation of Hitachi’s Reel60(TM) technology, a patented innovation that, according to the manufacturer, eliminates “judder” for the ultimate in smooth, clear motion. The new HDTVs also debut a new feature for film enthusiasts called Cinema48(TM). Working with 24p HDMI inputs, Cinema48 provides viewers with the same visual timing and feeling that they experience in movie theaters.
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Your home network will need a Wireless Router, Linksys gets eco-friendly
August 26, 2008
Today Linksys (a division of Cisco) announced that they are jumping on the greener bandwagon with the delivery of eco-friendly packaging around their home networking gear, as well as ENERGY STAR compliance for some of their router products.
Just about every one of us homeowners will put in a new network during our remodel. On the list will likely be a wireless router. As you are looking, look harder at those manufacturers who are doing just a bit more like this.
So what is so “green” about the Linksys packaging:
- Linksys has removed the “sleeve” (outer packaging that contains all the printing and information about the product). Instead of having a “sleeve,” Linksys plans to print all the information on the box itself, eliminating the Read more
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AUDIO-VISUAL: Knoll Systems amplifier wins Electronic House
July 23, 2008
We covered the energy efficiency of the Knoll Systems multi-zone audio amplifiers earlier this year. Just this week the company won Electronic House’s 2008 Product of the Year Award for the GSZ67 multi-room audio controller amplifier! Congratulations!!The GSZ67 is an amplifier that controls multiple speaker “zones” in your newly remodeled home. The multi-room controller allows you to plug in 7 different audio sources (e.g. Sonus, iPod, Sirius, XM, Comcast, etc.) and play a different audio source in up to 6 different places in your home (or backyard).
The significance of the GSZ67 is the innovative Knoll Systems Eco-System circuitry that, unlike other multi-zone amplifiers, dramatically reduces power consumption when zones in your home are not being used! This reduction in energy usage, also contributes less to heat creation, further reducing your cooling needs.
If A/V is part of your remodel, take a look at the GSZ67. We also hear there are some more great power saving audio innovations coming from Knoll at the CEDIA show in September!!
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AUDIO-VISUAL: Mitsubishi LaserVue television uses 50% less energy
June 26, 2008
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. has just announced additional details surrounding the performance and functionality of its LaserVue TV. With operating power targeted at under 200 watts, the LaserVue TVs are environmentally friendly, consuming approximately one-half the power of today’s LCD TVs, and one-third of plasma TVs. If you read our past article on the most efficient 50″ plasma TVs then you’ll know that this is more than a 50% energy consumption savings for a large format television of this size - great news!Mitsubishi says, LaserVue will be available in 65″ and 73″ models with the 65? Diamond shipping to authorized retailers in the third quarter of this year and the 73? Diamond to follow. LaserVue will raise the bar for large screen television by delivering Read more
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AUDIO-VISUAL: Klipsch P-39F speakers take a green eco-friendly approach
May 14, 2008
Home audio manufacturer Klipsch, just announced their very high-end Palladium P-39F floorstanding speaker set. While this speaker qualifies for the high-end remodeler budget ($20,000/pair), we wanted to bring it our audience because we like what Klipsch did with the wood paneling on this product — and we know their are homeowners out there that will purchase these! The company moved away from the use of zebrawoodveneer (considered a threatened species), often desired by high-end homeowner’s with home theaters, and replaced it with woods from government controlled harvests. The team over at ecoustics.com discusses the move in detail, backed up by the recent Klipsch press release.
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AUDIO-VISUAL: Which whole house audio amplifiers are most efficient?
May 4, 2008
As homeowners, many of us will use our home remodel as an opportunity to ?upgrade? our existing home audio and visual equipment such as televisions, amplifiers, satellite/cable box, DVD players, whole house audio, video games, etc. With these upgrades, you have an opportunity to reduce power consumption in your home ? making your home a greener home. Further, if your new equipment is an addition to your power consumption, then there are products that are better choices than others relative to energy consumption.
Today, we want to talk about the whole house audio category, and innovation which is occurring in the whole house audio market. Whole house audio is sound that is piped to various locations in your home, and you hear it through speakers in your walls or ceiling. You select a source (DVD, iPod, Pandora, XM Satellite) in the room you are occupying, your amplifier recognizes your selection, and then delivers the sound/music to your location.
A key component of whole house audio system is a multi-channel amplifier. Suppliers of multi-zone multi-channel amplifiers are company?s such as Read more
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HOME AUTOMATION: Automating your home with Crestron “go green” plan
February 29, 2008
“Heating and cooling systems in the U.S. emit 150 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, and also generate 12% of the nation’s sulfur dioxide and 4% of its nitrogen oxide, the chief ingredients in acid rain,” according to data that accompanies Crestron’s recent “Green Paper” entitled Intelligent Efficiency: Crestron Makes Life Greener. How can we control the usage of these home systems (heating, AC, lighting, sprinklers, audio/visual) better, and optimize the duration and timing they remain in operation? Home Automation. I had my first exposure to home automation while working with Kaleidescape whole house video/audio systems (not ENERGY STAR rated) some years back, and later working with Siemens. Home automation systems and controls (like Crestron) can cut down the energy you use in your home. With a home automation system you can automate the lighting in your home, as well as Heating, AC, computer and audio/visual to only operate during times it is needed, and to shut off automatically. According to the Crestron paper, the potential savings on energy in your home can be 3% for scheduling and dimming lights, and 4% for automating thermostats — based on a 4,000 square foot home where lighting accounts for 10% of total energy usage and heating/cooling accounts for 31%.
In addition to the green paper, the Crestron team has a ”green” area of their website, www.crestron.com/gogreen. GetWithGreen.com recommends taking a look at these systems and controls as you do your remodel. A good time to get them quoted is once your architectural drawings are completed. Typically you will purchase the systems through an audio/visual specialist in your area.
With their recent announcement, Crestron also published a 7-page “Green Paper”, entitled The paper discusses
Download the Crestron paper. Note you will need to Name, Email, and State to get access.
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AUDIO/VISUAL: New Energy Star standards set for Televisions
February 5, 2008
Because you are putting them in your new kitchens, GetWithGreen.com reported to you months ago that the ENERGY STAR team was working on new energy usage requirements for TVs that are powered “ON”. As you may know if you read our review of 50″ plasmas, the ONLY thing ENERGY STAR offers today for is a review of the power TVs use when they are turned “OFF”.
Today, ENERGY STAR announced that on November 1, 2008 TVs will be required to use 30% less power in the ON mode - if they want to claim Energy Star compliance! The requirement for televisions over 50 inches would be 318 Watts when turned ON. In our recent review you will see that today’s ENERGY STAR televisions do not meet the standards, so we are in for some improvements!!
Here is what ENERGY STAR had to say:
(Washington, D.C. - Feb. 5, 2008) Today EPA is announcing a revised Energy Star specification for televisions. Effective Nov. 1, 2008, TVs that carry the Energy Star label will be up to 30 percent more efficient than conventional models and will save energy while they are on and when they are off. The new modifications are expected to prevent greenhouse gas emissions while offering U.S. consumers the very best in terms of feature-rich, high-quality TVs.
“Energy Star’s new specifications for televisions are turning the channel on energy guzzling sets ? making them go the way of rabbit-ears and the black and white TV,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.After the new specification goes into effect, if all TVs sold in the United States meet the Energy Star requirements, the savings in energy costs will grow to about Read more
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