As the coupling of solar panels with battery storage technology becomes more proficient, more customers and service providers are plugging in. On June 2 Houston-based Sunnova Energy International Inc. announced an expansion...
As the country slowly emerges from the pandemic, opportunities within the construction industry are looking good—but a lack of sufficient cash flow could stymie contractors, according to an industry survey report by Billd, an...
According to a May 2021 survey from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), shortages of materials for home builders are now more widespread than at any at any time since...
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M., released a software tool designed to help utilities and utility customers (and the electrical contractors they hire) “assess the economic value of installing an energy storage...
Spring is coming to the nonresidential green building market. Although residential buildings have captured much of the limelight as the role of buildings has increased in climate change mitigation efforts, the potential for...
The National Safety Council (NSC), Itasca, Ill., has observed June as National Safety Month since 1996. This annual observance aims to promote a culture of safety both in and out of the workplace. For its 25th anniversary...
“Common Electrical Problems in Commercial Buildings,” a report by San Luis Obispo, Calif., electrical contractor Electricraft Inc., details issues that can exist within older buildings and offers suggestions to consider when...
According to a May 2021 report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Washington, D.C., increases in the cost of building materials, combined with low inventory, have caused new home sales prices to jump 20%...
Lighting has come a long way, and, like so much in the realm of energy and technology, its progress is not above politics. Standards for more energy-efficient lamps date back to the administration of President George W. Bush...
Utility spending on transmission work, in terms of new transmission lines and existing transmission line system operations and maintenance (O&M), is continuing to grow. A March 2021 report report from the U.S. Energy...
According to a report from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Arlington, Va., construction employment in April remained below the pre-pandemic high set in February 2020 in 36 states and the District of...
According to a report from the Building Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, buildings in the United States account for over 70% of electricity use in...
LEDs have helped transform lighting across the spectrum. Now, add indoor farming to the growing list of technologies that are undergoing change. Advances in LED technology, combined with a number of other trends, are putting...
It doesn’t seem to matter what type of construction is being discussed—nonresidential or residential. Skyrocketing material prices are putting a damper on new construction. The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)...
According to a report from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 depends largely on one’s occupation. Overall, while hesitancy to receive a vaccine...
The movement towards electrification is transforming the transportation sector. Electric vehicles, trucks, buses and other fleets account for most of the change, but another form of electric vehicle is also revving up for...
A Brooklyn startup has found a way to recover otherwise-wasted kinetic energy from passing vehicles, so it could be put “back to work” in the form of regenerated power. RoadPower Systems Inc., New York, has developed “smart...
A number of utilities (all subsidiaries of Exelon, Chicago) working together in cooperation have won three of the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) 2020 Technology Transfer Awards for Innovation. The annual EPRI...
According to a report from Wood Mackenzie, Annapolis, Md., while the shift toward renewable power generation relies on adding transmission capacity, opposition to new lines makes that an uphill battle. The report noted that...
According to a report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Washington, D.C., based on a survey conducted by the organization, the demand from homeowners for remodeling work is increasing significantly. While...
