Helping Higher Education Move to a More Sustainable Future

Higher education has an important societal responsibility, serving as a role model for sustainable practices, particularly as today’s students have grown up in a more environmentally conscious world. Here we look at how higher education’s investment in technology can help achieve these goals.

written by Hilmar Salac, Business Development Manager

Universities and colleges are already on the path to sustainability, with initiatives that include reducing energy consumption, using renewable energy and investing in sustainable technology. Education institutions have found that moving towards more sustainable investment in technology resources enables them to deliver the digital learning experience students have come to expect, while minimising negative impacts on the environment. They have also found that sustainable technology provides cost savings and significantly decreases maintenance and operational expenses.

In line with these goals, sustainability is at the heart of Panasonic technology design, from using recycled materials within projectors and packaging, to increased power efficiency and its unique use of Intel® SDM (Smart Display Module). All these advances help education institutions to remain flexible and minimise infrastructure costs and equipment, while meeting sustainability goals.

Engaging with an environmentally friendly design

Smart design is at the forefront of Panasonic’s thinking. Panasonic has reduced the physical footprint of some of its projectors by up to 40%. This more compact design drastically reduces the use of materials without any impact on projector brightness, performance or installation efficiency.

In addition, the latest projectors are using recycled resins wherever possible. For example, the projector bodies of the VMZ82 Series incorporate up to 59% recycled resins, whilst 73% of Panasonic’s RQ7 and 56% of its VMZ7ST Series projectors utilise recycled plastics.

More compact projectors, also means less packaging to be recycled and reduced transportation costs and emissions.

Reducing energy consumption, cost and operational disruption

Reducing energy consumption and lifetime operational costs is another important consideration. Panasonic is also taking great strides here. The latest VMZ82 Series, for example, delivers 25% greater energy efficiency, when compared to current LCD projectors. They are the smallest and lightest projectors in their class, delivering 8,000 lumens of brightness and superior image quality, even in well-lit educational settings. Additionally, the new VMZ7ST Series projector increases power efficiency by nearly 53%.

These savings are boosted by intelligent features, such as Auto Power On, which reduces energy usage when idle, only starting projection upon signal detection. This can have a significant impact on reducing energy consumption across the large number of lecture halls and classrooms in use. In addition, ECO Mode lowers brightness when full brightness is not required – saving power, increasing flexibility and lengthening operational life before replacements are required.

Lifetime maintenance costs are another important sustainability consideration. Many Panasonic projectors can operate maintenance-free for up to 20,000 hours, equal to 10 years of service when running for 40 hours a week. This enables universities and colleges to not only reduce costs, downtime and operational disruption but also negate the need to store replacement parts.

Built-in future-proofing

In the fast changing higher education environment, another important step towards sustainability is ensuring that technology investments are future-proofed for the long-term. Panasonic’s Intel® Smart Display Module (SDM)-enabled technology delivers a future-proofed, high-performance AV solution for Higher Education institutions. Using the SDM slot available in its latest projectors and displays, it offers:

Easily upgrades – Modular design allows institutions to upgrade processing power or add new capabilities without replacing entire displays.
Seamless integration – Easy to integrate and can eliminate the need for additional devices, such as external media players, reducing clutter and simplifying installation.
Reduced cabling – Streamlines connectivity, minimising complexity and improving reliability in lecture halls and classrooms.
Flexible use – Supports a range of applications, from lecture capture and hybrid learning to digital signage and interactive collaboration.
IT-friendly management – Enables remote monitoring and updates, reducing maintenance efforts for AV and IT teams.
Energy efficiency – Optimised power consumption helps institutions meet sustainability goals while lowering operational costs.

An ecosystem of compatible peripherals

Lastly, Panasonic’s ecosystem of short- and ultra-short throw lenses, mounts and function boards are built for use for the long-term ensuring sustainability. When upgrading technology, these accessories are often compatible with newer models, minimising waste and costs. This sustainable approach prolongs use, increases return on investment and maximises total cost of ownership.

Preparing for future developments

The technology landscape is constantly evolving and colleges and universities must ensure that their AV infrastructure can keep up with the latest developments while also meeting their sustainability goals. Panasonic offers significant sustainability and technology benefits to higher education institutions, enabling them to reduce energy consumption, streamline their IT infrastructure and better meet the needs of their students and faculty.

Helping Higher Education Move to a More Sustainable Future

Engaging with an environmentally friendly design

Reducing energy consumption, cost and operational disruption

Built-in future-proofing

An ecosystem of compatible peripherals

Preparing for future developments

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