Today’s electrical contractors are doing more work with fewer resources. Digital tools and technology can help yield productivity gains and improved safety metrics. New electrification types, a rise in renewables and the demand for smart technologies are driving growth in the electrical construction market, says Mike Hoppe, ABB product marketing director for the U.S. Electrification digital portfolio. Alongside Mike Dutoit, ABB product marketing manager, Hoppe serves as the subject matter expert of ABB digital solutions.

“A lot is happening in the electrical industry,” Hoppe says. “We’re seeing unprecedented growth in construction, infrastructure and EV charging, which is fueling work for the electrical industry and electrical contractors.”

Hoppe credits three mega-trends for market growth—global climate change, which is driving the energy transition; a shift to smart technologies in the electrical construction industry; and the global pandemic, which caused supply chain issues and the rebirth of U.S. manufacturing in silicon wafers and chips, automotive and batteries.

Analyzing trends

There is a boost in new energy sources, from solar and wind to nuclear and hydrogen. Everything from appliances and vehicles to machines and buildings demand electricity, and the new energy transition needs ways to provide the necessary power.

“Electrification is everywhere,” Hoppe says. “As more energy is required and renewable energy is brought to commercial buildings and industrial factories, contractors will experience that, and certainly electricians.”

The industry is also experiencing a change in smart technologies as electrification products are becoming fully digital, he added.

“Electrical equipment has moved from an analog world to fully digitally connected devices. Circuit breakers can now communicate data for temperature, voltage and current,” he says. “You’re seeing a shift to technology that goes beyond simple sensing to communicating data for automated switching.”

Streamlining work in the field

Electrical contractors are poised to embrace the new market opportunities. With a smartphone in their pockets and a tablet or laptop in their vehicles, electricians can use mobile apps for scheduling, billing and invoicing.

“Today, much of the technology is easy to use with a short learning curve, aiming to reduce the training time,” Hoppe says.

For example, workers using mobile apps can get more work done safely outside the arc flash zone and familiarize themselves with equipment and maintenance issues. Knowing exactly what to do before arriving on site helps eliminate guesswork, he says.

“Anything done to reduce the amount of time working inside the arc flash zone prepares an electrician for a safer environment and helps them be more efficient.”

By remotely monitoring electrical equipment, contractors can understand what is happening at the equipment or device level without risking a worker on site.

“If an electrician does not have to be on site to physically diagnose an issue and can instead remotely monitor the device to know exactly what problem is occurring, that will save time,” he says. “Then they can plan based on urgency.”

Exploring augmented reality

Electricians can not only remotely monitor electrical equipment, but they can also leverage the power of augmented reality (AR) to boost their productivity on the job site.

“Electricians can walk up to a device, scan a QR code with their phone or tablet and pull up all relevant reference documents, 3D imaging or photorealistic imaging of the device,” Hoppe says.

They can then explore the device internally to pinpoint exactly which components need to be replaced or repaired—all before they open the panel and begin work.

“Augmented reality isn’t a future technology,” Hoppe says. “It’s here today and something ABB solutions offer for electricians to use.”

Through AR visualization, electricians can view an equipment model, access critical information and enhance the device by making software changes. Meanwhile, virtual reality (VR) is often used in training simulations, where it’s safer than learning to work on live equipment.

“I think virtual reality is next level,” Hoppe says. “The headset visualizes the represented device but does not actually affect it.”

Looking to the future, electrical contractors need to familiarize themselves with what is in the market and know that these technologies are available today, says Mike Dutoit, ABB product marketing manager.

“More features and functionalities are coming. The sooner they adopt, the better off they’ll be in the future when it becomes commonplace,” Dutoit says.

As electrical contractors dive into the world of digital technologies, they can learn more by visiting the ABB Digital Solutions Center.