Now is the time to get excited about prospects for new starts and more sustainable architecture and facilities. This should be good for electrical contractors as infrastructure stimulus grows and technology develops...
Will we ever see buildings that consume zero energy? We already have. The National University of Singapore’s School of Design and Environment 4 building supplies 100% of its energy from on-site renewable energy sources with...
There’s a new flavor of human resources leadership today where the employee experience meets HR operations to create human experience management, or HXM—and technology is the accelerant. That’s how San Francisco-based SAP...
Perhaps not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the adoption of mobile apps on construction job sites, but integration and data sharing with other apps or other company software is still lagging, according to the...
Many companies now offer software to manage funds, equipment and more on construction projects. But perhaps one of the greatest uses of software is managing people. Software to manage employees Human resource (HR) management...
Remote working, as well as social distancing on job sites, due to the pandemic has expedited adoption of some construction technologies such as digital collaboration platforms, virtual scanning tools and safety-focused...
The Espoma Co., Millville, N.J., produces organic gardening fertilizer. The staff is proud of its facility, with warehouses and structures that sport a rooftop solar-energy installation covering nearly 43,000 square feet. The...
Construction design projects rely on simulation software, such as building information modeling, to drive design and construction decisions. Building information modeling (BIM) and other simulation software usage is picking...
The coronavirus pandemic has made clear that there is a range technology available to buildings that serve different building constituents. “Smart building technologies are built upon connectivity among building equipment so...
The world can be a small place. It is if you believe that wireless networks connect us with each other, our devices and a universe of pathways to do everything from conversing clearly on the phone to rapidly following...
Say robotics, and we think of a physical robot. Say automation, and we think controls, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), digital dashboards, cloud-based software and other connotations. However, robotics process...
Building intelligence and sensor technology have been driving energy efficiency. On the horizon is a next level of intelligence based on capturing data about how occupants use a space and then applying that information for a...
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable energy cells considered to have a “high-energy density,” meaning they can store a lot of energy. As an energy source, lithium-ion cells have been around for a while. Lithium-ion...
In 2015, the Boston Consulting Group examined the LED lighting market and trends in its article, “How to Win in a Transforming Lighting Industry.” It stated, “The upheaval stems from two powerful shifts: the move toward light...
In Newcastle, England, an entire city can be replicated using a digital twin to test the resilience of its underlying infrastructure in case of natural disaster or other disruptive event. Elsewhere, Siemens AG says a team of...
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have found a new niche that is expanding rapidly: industrial training. Put on the goggles and headset and you’re in a simulated work environment. The reality is so vivid...
Although electrical contractors (ECs) aren't yet in the majority when they use high-tech gadgets, a recent survey shows adoption rates are going up. Now is an ideal time for ECs to become familiar with what's available. Here...
According to the Commercial Construction Index (CCI) for the fourth quarter of 2018, contractors in commercial construction are continuing to employ advanced technologies on job sites. In fact, use of these technologies is...
What goes on inside will greatly shape what happens on the outside. More specifically, the inside of electrical and mechanical equipment, components and other materials will continue to shape their outside performance, aided...
During 2018, electrical contractors saw various technologies start to have a larger role in the electrical construction industry. In 2019, they'll see many of these innovations have an even more prominent role and encounter...
