Archive notice: This article was originally published on May 8, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The study modelled 150 shops in prime locations. Switching to digital window displays saved 29.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent over three years, comparable to the energy consumed by a typical European household in five years.
Commissioned by MediaZest, jointly funded by Cisco and Panasonic, and conducted by ROI Team and Brunel University, the study found 7.5% lower emissions for projection displays. Its warehouse-to-warehouse analysis covered installation, operation, maintenance and disposal, plus electricity, diesel, paper and ink.
The tested system used a Panasonic PT-D4000 dual-lamp projector, 3M Vikuiti window film and a Cisco media player. Content updates travelled over broadband, avoiding repeated printing and road transport. Display life was assumed to be three years.
Brunel University research fellow Dr Joyce Tsoi said the results showed a clear environmental advantage for digital media and could stimulate debate around point-of-sale advertising.
MediaZest Sales and Marketing Director Andy Hawkins said the company believed businesses had economic and moral reasons to reconsider their behaviour, and that digital displays appeared to combine commercial, brand and aesthetic benefits with improved sustainability.
ROI Team Managing Director Andrew McCall said selecting a benchmark for conventional posters was difficult because campaigns varied, but hoped the research would encourage discussion of digital signage.
Panasonic projector marketing manager Hartmut Kulessa said the study marked the beginning of more sustainable technical solutions. Cisco UK and Ireland Consumer Industries Operations Director Tim Skinner said intelligent technology use could help customers reduce environmental impact and improve retail carbon performance.
