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Energy-saving guidelines for i3CONNECT Display

Applies to i3CONNECT displays including Aspen 4 and Elm 2. Some capabilities (e.g., energy telemetry, local dimming) are model-specific; see callouts per section.

Using Smart on/off to save energy (HPD: Human Presence Detection)

Human Presence Detection (HPD), also called Smart on/off or motion presence detection, uses the built-in motion sensor to wake the display when someone enters the room and dim or sleep the display when the room is empty.

Why it saves energy

  • Eliminates “left-on” screens in empty rooms

  • Works hands-free; users don’t need to remember to turn off the display

How to set it up (on the display)

  1. Open the Quick Menu (slide the side grabber) and tap Settings (cogwheel).

  2. Go to General (or Energy, depending on version).

  3. Enable Wake up when movement detected.

  4. Enable Go to standby/backlight mute when no movement detected.

  5. Choose a timeout (e.g., 15/30/45/60 minutes) before standby/backlight mute starts.

Hardware locations: Aspen 4 has a front motion sensor labelled “Smart On/Off”; Elm 2 has a front motion detector. On legacy models, some HPD options can be restricted in Admin Settings.

Setting the whiteboard to Dark Mode to save energy

i3CONNECT Whiteboard includes a dark “Blackboard” background. Dark content requires less backlight, especially on displays with local dimming.

Why it saves energy

  • On Aspen 4 (with local dimming), large dark areas let unused backlight zones dim or turn off.

  • Measured example on Aspen 4: switching to Blackboard mode can reduce power from about 210 W to 86 W.

How to enable Blackboard

  1. Open i3CONNECT Whiteboard.

  2. Open Background/Canvas settings.

  3. Select Blackboard (dark mode).

Best practice: Use Blackboard for brainstorming and note-taking. Pair with Smart on/off and ECO-friendly Energy Mode for compounding savings. Aspen 4’s home-screen energy widget shows real-time and 7-day savings.

Changing the Energy Mode to save energy

Energy Modes control brightness and power behavior for the environment.

Modes to use

  • ECO friendly mode: Caps maximum brightness to reduce power usage—ideal for controlled lighting.

  • Auto mode: Uses the ambient light sensor to adapt brightness to room lighting for a good balance of visibility and savings.

How to change mode

  1. Open Settings from the Quick Menu.

  2. Go to Energy or Display.

  3. Select ECO friendly mode (maximum savings) or Auto mode (adaptive brightness).

Tip: In consistently well-lit rooms, ECO friendly mode typically yields the greatest savings with minimal impact on readability.

Automatically setting the display to standby when not in use

When no input/app is active, the display can enter standby automatically.

Behavior

  • If there is no active source, the display goes to standby after a short idle period (default is about 3 minutes on recent models).

  • Standby typically reduces power to ≤ 0.5 W and allows quick wake (touch/remote/motion).

How to configure the standby timer

  1. Open Settings from the Quick Menu.

  2. Go to Energy or Power.

  3. Adjust the Standby timeout (keep short for maximum savings).

Ensure connected source devices don’t keep the display “active” unintentionally (e.g., laptops set to never sleep). Pair with HPD and Off timers for robust savings.

Setting Off timers to save energy when rooms are closed

Off timers (schedules) power down displays at fixed times—perfect for overnight and weekends.

How to set Off timers on a single display

  1. Open Settings from the Quick Menu.

  2. Go to Timer or Schedule.

  3. Set Off time(s) per day to match room closing hours.

How to set Off timers fleet-wide via Cortex

  1. Open the i3CONNECT Cortex dashboard.

  2. Select target device(s) from your device list.

  3. Open Power schedules, configure Off times per day, and push the configuration.

Best practice: Use both HPD (for daytime gaps) and Off timers (for closed hours). This combination prevents idle waste and guarantees shutdown after hours.

Tips & tricks for reviewing your energy use in Cortex

Cortex lets IT admins monitor energy metrics and confirm savings at scale.

What to review

  • Power consumption and savings (Aspen 4 and newer with digital reporting): Validate impact of ECO mode, Blackboard, and schedules.

  • Device status: See which devices are On, Standby, or Offline—spot screens that shouldn’t be on.

  • Configuration audit: Confirm HPD, Energy Mode, and Off timers are applied consistently.

Admin tips

  • Register all displays in Cortex during setup for full fleet visibility.

  • Set organization-wide policies (HPD enabled, ECO mode default, nightly Off timers) and push remotely.

  • Investigate anomalies (unexpectedly high usage) to correct misconfiguration or source-device settings.

  • Use the on-device energy widget (Aspen 4) to corroborate Cortex data with 7-day trends and real-time savings.