The American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) Consensus Construction Forecast panel has projected nonresidential building spending in late 2023 and beyond and predicts that spending on buildings will increase by 20% this year. This would be the highest rate since the years leading up to the Great Recession. The panel found an extremely strong start in [...]

  In April, 2023, I wrote about the evolving and escalating trade war between the U.S. & China. One of the developments was the U.S. and some of its allies banning the sale of advanced AI computer chips to China. On July 3rd, China retaliated with an announcement that it would impose export restrictions on [...]

  Amazon dominates retail e-commerce but not B2B e-commerce. Here is a closer look: Amazon dominates retail e-commerce with $431 Billion in sales projected this year. Amazon’s retail Ecom market share is 37.6%. In second place is Walmart with $73.5 Billion in retail e-commerce sales, 1/6 that of Amazon. Amazon’s top retail e-comm categories are [...]

  Recently released new construction metrics show mixed monthly results, variations by sectors, and positive projections through 2023 and 2024. DMI The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, fell -2% in May to 180.5 points (2000=100) from the revised April reading of 184.1 points. Over the month, the commercial component of the [...]

  China’s share of U.S. imports has been declining sharply over the past six years. The all time high was 21.6% in 2017. The first four months of 2023 fell to 13.3%. That’s a 38% decline in import share over the past 6 years. If annualized at 13.3%, 2023 would be the lowest level since [...]

At LightFair, I was part of a panel presenting the impacts of electrification on the lighting industry. This is the final article, Part 7, of the series. Dozens of states and municipalities have begun adopting energy benchmarking regulations that include fines to building owners who fail to meet either emissions or energy efficiency requirements. New [...]

  At LightFair, I was part of a panel presenting the impacts of electrification on the lighting industry. This article is Part 6 of the series. In Part 3 of this series, the drivers of deeper energy efficiency retrofits were discussed, including: Rapid rises in electric utility rates that will likely continue for some time. [...]

  At LightFair, I was part of a panel presenting the impacts of electrification on the lighting industry. This article is Part 5 of the series. Electrification of building heat, hot water, cooking, as well as the transportation sector will create tremendous stresses on the electrical grid and utilities. This is already beginning to happen [...]

At LightFair, I was part of a panel presenting the impacts of electrification on the lighting industry. This article is Part 4 of the series. Two of the biggest consequences of electrification will be the mass adoption of electric vehicles as well as the rapid increase in renewable energy generation. Both of these will create [...]