Author: Peggy Smedley
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…
If the grid goes down, will your home’s energy stay up? New technologies are becoming available that are making smart-home energy management a reality for today’s homeowners. The global energy-management system market size is projected to reach $41.97 billion by 2027, exhibiting 9.9% growth. Integration of AI (artificial intelligence) in renewable energy management will play a decisive role in augmenting this market, says Fortune Business Insights. Offering a similar prediction, Allied Market Research suggests a 9.6% growth through 2027 in the smart-energy market, with robust investment in smart-grid technologies one of the major drivers. Perhaps we need to take a…
In mid-January of this year, Winter Storm Jasper, as it was labeled by the Weather Channel, blasted through the southeastern states, leaving tens of thousands of people without power and bringing snow and ice to the south—impacting states from Texas to Virginia. Here in the Carolinas, ice is a real threat, as it is heavy enough to knock out power. To this, I ask: What exactly are we doing to ensure our infrastructure is resilient to such storms? In order to answer this question, let’s first look back to February of last year. The Feb. 13–17, 2021 North American winter…
Are we prepared for the uptick of work that is inevitably coming as a result of the five-year $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which aims to rebuild America’s infrastructure? I am not so sure. Let us look at one specific example: equipment. Keeping track of rented and owned equipment often still involves spreadsheets and a chain of text messages too long to manage effectively. The result is not having a true status of owned and rented assets. This leads to financial loss from overdue or duplicate rentals; missed project deadlines from incorrect equipment allocation; unnecessary wear and tear…