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The average church audio, video, and lighting (AVL) technology system is in use only 3%-5% of the week. The rest of the time, a facility’s AVL systems are often put into standby mode, and still drawing power. While standby loads for modern equipment have certainly fallen, churches are surprised they’re still spending as much money keeping their gear in standby as actually using it. The same is true for LED lighting fixtures that are only faded to black rather than being completely powered down.
Power control has become more critical than ever as churches continue to invest in new AVL and increase their energy load. With automated power control solutions, worship facilities can provide the best foundation for their AVL system. Automated power control allows them to easily follow these system best practices that ensure the efficiency and longevity of their equipment and lighting fixtures.
Here are six best practices technical team members should understand and employ.
#1-Turn off systems at the circuit level
Good maintenance of AVL systems means powering those systems down completely rather than putting them in standby. Automated power control eliminates risks to a facility’s delicate and expensive AVL assets by turning off the power at the circuit level. A closed circuit, or one that’s still on, is a liability. Any electrical anomalies, such as lightning strikes or energy grid spikes and surges, can damage or completely fry equipment. If the circuit is opened, gear is turned off completely, is off the grid and electricity doesn't travel to the device.
... it’s a common misconception that when an LED lamp is black, with no light output, it’s off. It’s actually just dimmed while still drawing expensive energy.
This is especially important for LED fixtures. For more than a decade, churches have been making the switch from incandescent lighting systems to LEDs to reap the cost savings of doing away with troublesome lamp replacements. An incandescent bulb is usually rated for 2,000 hours; an LED lamp is rated typically for 50-100,000 hours. However, it’s a common misconception that when an LED lamp is black, with no light output, it’s off. It’s actually just dimmed while still drawing expensive energy. LED video walls experience the same issue. Today’s latest high brightness LEDs demand more and more power to make those bulbs burn brighter than ever.
In addition, there are a lot of sensitive electronics in each LED lighting fixture that enables them to dim, move, or change colors. Those electronics, much like a computer or display, aren’t designed to stay energized for extended periods. They will only last a few years if not properly cared for — far less than the advertised 30 years. Most lighting manufacturers recommend powering assets down completely when not in use. Many even offer small relay panels now as part of their system because they recognize the benefit to lighting systems.
#2-Don’t cook your tech
Another reason to fully power down AVL gear with an automated power control system is to save them from excessive heat exposure. Heat is the enemy of all electronics, slowly burning them up. Standby mode is a big source of heat and the reason that a 30-year lighting system may only last three years. In the lighting world, fans were recently added to combat this issue. Unfortunately, these moving parts often wear out well before the lifetime of the system.
Standby mode is a big source of heat and the reason that a 30-year lighting system may only last three years.
#3-Give AVL systems the reboot
The industry is moving to a completely digital framework. That means almost every piece of AVL gear is built around processors that enable more intelligent capabilities and features. It also means — much like today’s computers — they’re prone to freeze and lock up when left on. Wireless equipment, such as wireless DMX modules and video walls, is especially prone to locking up.
By completely powering off AVL systems at the circuit level, they’re given the opportunity to do a healthy reboot when powered back up.
Often, the only way to reset the system is through a hard, and sometimes inconvenient, reboot that will refresh the processors. What’s more, a lot of gear can be impossible to reboot just because of where it’s located, such as powered ceiling loudspeakers, LED lights, and video walls. By completely powering off AVL systems at the circuit level, they’re given the opportunity to do a healthy reboot when powered back up.
#4-Lessen the load for your volunteers
There’s a lot to learn when you’re working behind the technical scenes at a church. Volunteers, who usually have minimal training, have the heavy burden of getting equipment operating exactly right during each service. They may often rely on checklists and sticky notes to help them know in what order everything needs to be powered up. Unfortunately, those slips of paper can easily — and frequently do — go missing. By automating power control at the circuit breaker panel, facilities can lessen this workload and prevent equipment from accidentally being turned on in the wrong order.
By automating power control at the circuit breaker panel, facilities can ... prevent equipment from accidentally being turned on in the wrong order.
#5-Prep AVL systems for the digital handshake
The digital handshake is an important precursor to system operation now that everything is digital. There’s a very specific order in which digital equipment needs to be turned on. If things aren't turned on in the right order with the right delay settings, the individual pieces of gear won’t shake hands and talk to each other. Turning the gear on in the wrong order prevents the digital handshake — the specific process where one piece of gear communicates with another piece on the network. If it is turned off during the period where it's searching for the other gear it's supposed to work with and it doesn't see it — or a volunteer or tech person turns it on too late — it misses the window of opportunity to communicate. The only way to get assets to see each other is to restart the system.
Turning the gear on in the wrong order prevents the digital handshake — the specific process where one piece of gear communicates with another piece on the network.
#6-Sequence on video walls and equipment with large inrush loads
Automated power control includes proper sequencing. Sequencing has always been an incredibly important step in the audio world. If an amplifier wasn’t sequenced on after mixers and other front of house equipment, expensive loudspeakers could be damaged. Just one circuit turned on out of sequence could spell disaster and expensive repairs for a system.
Just one circuit turned on out of sequence could spell disaster and expensive repairs for a system.
But there is now a need for sequencing in other parts of your AVL world. Video walls have been added to amplifiers in the sequencing department. They draw eight to 10 times their normal current draw in the startup phase. This can cause voltage sags and nuisance trips that can damage processors and prematurely wear out circuit breakers.
What are the options?
What many people are unaware of, is that there are numerous options for controlling your electrical loads at the circuit level. There are AVL-specific relay panels that add switching capabilities to existing circuit breaker panels. And there are now several brands of controllable circuit breaker panels that offer switching built directly into the circuit breaker itself. These panels can automate electrical devices wherever they are located within the church.
How should a church operate its new power control system? There are a variety of ways.
One option is through occupancy sensors, and another is through the use of automated timers. These will automatically turn lights or other systems on and off based on people in the room or based on the time of day.
Another popular option is to use simple wall switches or contact closures that allow a group or number of circuits to be turned on in an automated controlled fashion. This is set up by creating zones within the panel. It tells the panel what to power on and in what order. A third option is to automate it so that once the panel sees the DMX signal, for example, all the lights turn on.
Take power control
With a reliable, advanced power control systems, worship facilities not only protect their expensive technology investments against energy grid fluctuations, heat, and lock ups, but they provide smart control capabilities across their facility that can lower their electric bills. A lighting control board can control all the lighting circuits and the audio board can control all the audio circuits. In addition, they provide sequencing capabilities that are sophisticated and highly customized. Every circuit can have its own delay setting, so with the push of a single button, volunteers can turn every piece of equipment on in exactly the right order with the right delay settings. All the gear always talks to each other and the system isn’t flooded with startup inrush. The result is a flawless AVL production each and every time.
Learn more at: www.lyntec.com.
