New lighting technology provides electrical contractors with a unique capability to redo an aging home and vastly improve the lighting system. At the same time, many aspects of an existing home, such as its construction, can...
Wireless home automation may seem like it snuck up on us, yet the smart home market has been around for four decades. What’s changed is the rapid success of voice assistants, the internet of things, technologically confident...
New construction starts continue to decline in the face of rising interest rates and higher material costs—though strong economic conditions and increased infrastructure spending could mitigate declines in the near future,...
According to data released in mid-September by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce, total housing starts increased 9.2 percent in August, to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1...
For electrical contractors looking for the “next big thing,” a new report suggests that it might be residential battery storage projects. The “ 2018 Utility Energy Storage Market Snapshot ,” released by the Smart Electric...
According to the latest American Community Survey (ACS), recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, self-employment in construction is considerably above average compared to other sectors. The survey finds 23 percent of...
A new partnership between an Arizona production homebuilder and a German battery maker might accomplish what a seemingly endless number of pilot projects have not. It could prove residential solar-plus-storage installations...
It's no surprise that, as Americans become more dependent on computers, smartphones and other digital devices, demand for electricity increases. A study published this January in the science journal Joule looks more closely...
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...
At the end of last year, I wrote an article about new business possibilities for electrical contractors in 2017 . In that article, I highlighted the ideas of building out new and existing commercial buildings to address the...
Expansions, updates and renovations are a necessity of modern life as buildings quickly become outdated. College buildings are no exception; students can be demanding customers. Not known for subtlety, the University of...
Tiny houses are having their moment. They have their own television shows, magazines and festivals around the country. Enthusiasts call it a movement toward a simpler and freer way of life. Hype may best numbers, but look...
As the solar-technology industry tries to become more flexible to meet the needs of the residential market, some integrated systems are poised for large-scale adoption. Dozens of companies now offer building integrated...
According to a 2016 industry study by Zion Research, the U.S. market for home automation systems is growing by leaps and bounds. Valued at nearly $5 billion this year and forecast to nearly double by 2021, the home automation...
With more than 100 million homes in the United States, the residential service/maintenance market offers electrical contractors a broad spectrum of opportunities. However, competitive pricing, economies of scale and other...
Since the days of thomas Edison more than a century ago, electricity has flowed through the grid in one direction. Power is centrally generated, transmitted, distributed within cities to buildings and consumed immediately....
With efficiency now occupying a top-tier status in the effort to transform energy use, it was only a matter of time before the spotlight trained on waste and building construction. An architectural firm in Brighton, England,...
For the electrical contractor (EC), finding a role in the smart grid shouldn’t be a matter of “wait and see.” Now is the time to prepare for this growing opportunity. If your work involves building automation and lighting...
Fuel cells are an evolving technology and a current new market for the electrical contractor (EC). As a result of research and development, fuel cells have become feasible to implement with greater capacity, reduced costs,...
With the Institute of Electric Efficiency reporting more than 36 million smart meters installed from 2007 through May 2012 and a target of 65 million by 2015, it appears that smart meters are here to stay. By 2015, smart...
