Jeff Gavin

Wind power is now well-established and enjoying impressive growth. Federal assistance disappears after 2019 (for the most part), so the growth may slow, but for how long is debatable if wind-power electric rates remain...

It seems likely that designing a building digitally will become standard practice; the question is when. Certainly, contractors of all sizes have digitally designed to one degree or another, but building information modeling...

The City of Chicago has earned some bragging rights. By the end of 2017, its crane count stood at 60, bested only by Seattle. As Mayor Rahm Emanuel posted on Twitter: “Chicago’s 60th crane marks a 5x increase from 2010, when...

Sports and sustainability have teamed up. Not only are professional sports venues, campus athletic buildings and community recreation centers built with cost savings in mind and achieved through clean energy, energy...

Everything can evolve, even the humble parking garage. Today, pioneering garages are accommodating electric cars, using wireless power and operating sustainably. Parking structures in the 21st century could soon be a link...

We are in the second longest expansion of the U.S. economy (eight years and 11 months). Strong fundamentals continue to fuel growth as “slow and steady” wins the day. However, recessions are part of every economic cycle. So,...

When safety is second nature for electrical contractors, they are stronger and better construction team members. However, making safety a core company value takes more than good management; it takes leaders. If your crew...

Passive house (PH) building design is challenging, meticulous and energy-focused. It began as a niche approach to deliver serious energy efficiency for single-family construction. Now gaining traction across the United States...

It seems data and technology have become the accelerant to achieving smart city goals. Infrastructure in the 21st century will contain a confluence of devices that include power-efficient sensors, wireless networks and mobile...

In the construction community, the internet of things (IoT) may have been a curiosity at one point. Soon, it might become the next specification. The International Data Corp. (IDC), a global advisory and market intelligence...

If the economy went in for a checkup, the doctor would likely say, “Keep doing what you’re doing.” Overall, things are positive with no surprises. We’re at full employment. Inflation is in check. The stock market is confident...

Old McDonald may have a farm, but these days you don’t have to leave the city to find it. Urban agriculture is bringing farm-to-table in the purest sense to metropolitan customers while rewriting crop yields and farming...