Author: Peggy Smedley

The U.S. Dept. of Energy says the residential sector accounts for about 21% of the total U.S. energy consumption. Of the energy used in U.S. homes in 2015, 55% of it was used for heating and cooling. Water heating, appliances, electronics, and lighting accounted for the remaining 45% of total consumption. In 2019, the average household used energy that released an estimated 17,320 lbs. of CO2. To put this number in perspective, on an annual basis the average household is responsible for releasing 70% more CO2 emissions compared to the average passenger vehicle. Builders can change all this. Homeowners can…

Episode 759 02.22.22 Nick McQuire, director of enterprise AI and innovation, Microsoft, joins Peggy to talk about what led to the creation of the AI Business School and the importance of helping leaders succeed with artificial intelligence. The duo also delve in the three initial core pillars and a new learning path in the AI Business School. Below is an excerpt from the interview. To listen to the conversation from the Peggy Smedley Show, click here or go to https://peggysmedleyshow.com to access the entire show. Peggy Smedley: I’m excited to have you here because AI (artificial intelligence) is such an…

Did traffic fatalities go up or down from 2020 to 2021? If you caught my February 15 episode of The Peggy Smedley Show, then you know the answer. Roughly 31,720 people died in motor vehicle crashes from January through September of last year, which is an increase of roughly 12% from the 28,325 fatalities projected in the first nine months of 2020. What I would like to focus on for this blog is how we—as a technology community—are going to fix it. As I have suggested, we need to leverage technology in order to curb these traffic deaths, and we…

For many homeowners the talk of EVs (electric vehicles) and electrification is ramping up. Here’s the question on everyone’s minds lately: Does the cost advantage of EVs outweigh the cost of charging, batteries, and infrastructure? Let’s dig in. The electrification of transportation isn’t a new phenomenon. At the end of the 19th century, electric vehicles were second to the horse for personal transportation and light cargo hauling. Steam was king for heavy duty, long-range hauling—trains, ships—and gasoline engines were still in early-stage development. The electric runabout was a popular choice, especially for urban use where its short range—about 20 miles…

I have long been talking about the need to recruit, reskill, and upskill workers in industries such as manufacturing. The same can be said about construction. As demonstrated by a Construction Labor Market Report recently published by the HBI (Home Builders Institute), the residential construction industry will need to train and place a tremendous 2.2 million new workers within the next three years to meet the United States’ housing demands. Let’s take a look. The good news is we are seeing a much greater effort to promote building careers among young children. In fact, earlier this month at the NAHB…

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit more than two years ago, everything went remote overnight. The pandemic threw the world into chaos. Now, many industries are beginning to ask some of the hard questions such as: what kind of impact did this ultimately have in different vertical markets? Today, let’s look at the impact on healthcare. Virtual care is now a fundamental part of the U.S. healthcare system, and it will improve patient access to high-quality care well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally speaking, many patients have come to see telehealth as one of the most positive improvements to our…

The NAHB (National Assn. of Home Builders) IBS (Intl. Builders Show) and KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) was a bevy of announcements—everything from 3D printing to software to appliances. Parks Associates found steady purchase intentions for smart appliances and continued growth for smart energy and lighting products at the show. But here is what stood out to me: Roughly 25% of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a smart appliance in the next six months. Wow. I was able to see firsthand how new appliances are becoming greener and more ecofriendly. Here’s what I love. They are better for…

Last week, at the NAHB (National Assn. of Home Builders) IBS (Intl. Builders Show), sustainability in our homes was a big focus for many. Case in point: water conservation in our homes. Lack of safe water is threatening roughly one-third of the world’s population, which is roughly 2.2 billion people. Sadly, every 37 seconds a person dies from a preventable waterborne illness, totaling more than 2,300 per day, and 800,000 each year. While this is a huge global challenge, there is a solution. As a society we have an ethical and moral responsibility to be more mindful of our water…

Is our data safe? Candidly, no, and it hasn’t been safe for a very long time. Every business, every consumer, is in danger of being hacked. If we don’t do something about this soon, we are all going to be victims at one point or another. So, let’s be clear, knowing that it isn’t safe and trying to do something about it are certainly two different things when it comes to protecting your more valuable assets. But, more importantly now, what are we going to do about it? Let me give you a recent example. The British Council is an…

Today kicks off the 2022 NAHB (National Assn. of Home Builders) IBS (Intl. Builders Show). We can expect big news from the technology companies—there has already been a promise from at least one to print a home at the show. At the same time, we can expect big news from companies providing smart-home technologies. One area that smart devices are set to take off in is multifamily properties. Parks Associates suggests 27% of MDU (multi-dwelling unit) residents have a smart device provided by their landlord or property owner and the overwhelming majority value the safety and security benefits of these…