Author: Peggy Smedley
90. That is the percentage of commercial and industrial customers that want more external support for energy initiatives. Peggy talks about the drive for energy intensive industries to reduce energy, move to renewables, and save more money. She also discusses: How many commercial and industrial companies already have a comprehensive energy strategy. Hurdles that still stand in the way and opportunities that will drive change. Where we are headed with energy and utilities. peggysmedleyshow.com (4/25/23 – 819) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast…
Peggy Smedley and Zack Perconti, vice president of government affairs, National Utility Contractors Assn., talk about the subsurface infrastructure agenda that is in Congress. He says 2023 is going to be a huge year for underground utility infrastructure—as we are in the pivotal implementation phase. They also discuss: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and how everything is a gradual process. One of the most environmentally friendly things we can do with our infrastructure. Where we should set our priorities when so much of our infrastructure is failing. nuca.com (4/25/23 – 819) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence,…
Peggy Smedley and Rich Humphrey, vice president of construction product management, Bentley Systems, and Andy Kaiyala, vice president of construction technology and controls, WSB, talk about how construction leaders can expand their adoption of 3D or 4D digital twins. Humphrey says they need to understand their state of how they are leveraging technology today and what the value of moving to digital twins or model-based workflows are for their business, and Kaiyala says having a plan is critical. They also discuss: The core benefits of model-based workflows with a digital twin. Managing information through the lifecycle. How the Bentley WSB…
Smart homes are advancing, with a sustainability twist. Consider the example of HVAC-R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration) systems, which on average runs two to three times an hour for 10-15 minutes, using about 3,500 watts, which is costing homeowners big dollars every month. Another consideration is if as a society we want to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement and move the needle with global warming to remain under two degrees Celsius, then we must become more sustainable in many areas—including HVAC in homes and buildings. The good news is the systems themselves are advancing to become…
The construction labor shortage persists in 2023, as construction companies continue to search for skilled workers and come up empty. In fact, one organization suggests the construction industry will need to attract an estimated 546,000 on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet the demand of labor. This number comes from ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors). The research also shows the construction industry averaged more than 390,000 job openings per month in 2022, which ABC says is the highest level on record. For reference, the industry unemployment rate of 4.6% in 2022 was the second lowest…
With the rise of Industry 4.0 comes the convergence of IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology), which opens a new world of opportunities for critical organizations and manufacturers. More often, we see these two areas coming together, with the objective to improve efficiencies, safety, business acumen, and so much more. It will enable realtime decision making, a more coordinated response to business, shared resources, eliminate unplanned downtime through predictive maintenance, all while making better use of use of data. Quite frankly, I am not sure it makes sense to have these two areas of our business siloed anymore. But…
Peggy talks all about Earth Day. She says everyone has a role to play in making our world more sustainable: manufacturers need to move to a more circular business model, businesses need more sustainable business practices, government needs to provide the right support and policies, and individuals need to take action in their own homes and in their own communities. She also discusses: The birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970—and what it looks like today. What we can do to celebrate Earth Day in business and in life. How technology factors in. peggysmedleyshow.com (4/18/23 – 818) IoT, Internet…
Peggy and Chris Irwin, program manager for transactive energy, communications, and interoperability in smart grid, U.S. Dept. of Energy, talks about his work on the smart grid. He says he was in the utility industry on the vendor side and then joined the U.S. Dept. of Energy just at the dawn of the recovery act, which is when the U.S. Dept. of Energy was able to invest about $8 billion in grid modernization. They also discuss: The benefits of a smart, connected grid. How intelligent controls can reroute power. How weather conditions impact how power is generated, delivered, and even…
Peggy Smedley and Sheeva Sairafi, cofounder & president, Hold-On, talk about the nuts and bolts of a new, sustainable product. She says the company created it because it saw a need in the trash bag and the ziplock bag space of innovation and a more sustainable alternative. They also discuss: The process of producing the products. The importance of a local supply chain. The goal of making sustainability more accessible. holdonbags.com – Use code PEGGY20 for 20% off on your first order of sustainable bags from HoldOn! (4/18/23 – 818) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning,…
In 2015, Gills Creek broke through dams, flooding homes and businesses, and destroyed much in its wake. According to Bailey Parker, executive director, Gills Creek Watershed Assn., much of this could have been avoided if we would have been better stewards of watersheds—which she was kind enough to spend time explaining—which is a catch basin for where every bit of water comes into one point. Quite simply, a watershed is an area of land that channels—or sheds—rainfall and other water runoff into a single body of water. Everyone lives within a watershed, whether we know it or not, and our…