With the recent growth in the housing market and new construction, there have also been outstanding technological developments in the industry. There are many different opinions and projections buzzing around the industry, and a couple of them caught our attention.
3D Printing
The idea of “3D printing a house” is an innovative concept that is quickly becoming a reality. Going back in time 10 years or so, many people might not have heard of the concept.
In 2017, Mashable published a demo of an entire house being created by a 3D printer in only 24 hours. There’s a cool video we found about it. You can watch it here.
3D-printed homes could potentially open up new opportunities for performance contracting. As homes are designed on a computer, then “printed” by robotics, there could be a potential need for performance contractors to become more engaged in the design of homes to ensure optimal home performance.
Drones
Similar to 3D printing, drones have received a lot of hype for their usefulness in various jobs. For example, commercial HVAC contractors will use drones to inspect RTUs. Instead of the contractor having to physically get on a roof, he/she can simply fly a drone up, and a video/photo camera on the drone captures everything the contractor needs to see. As drones increase in popularity for new construction, contractors could potentially use them for surveying home performance needs of new houses.
Wireless Power
Earlier this year, Futurism published a tremendous breakthrough about Stanford scientists making wireless electricity transmission a reality. Looking ahead to 2018 and beyond, it’s interesting to consider how “wireless power” will affect performance contracting.
We’ve already seen the contracting industry become more advanced through smartphone FLIR cameras, digital testing tools (e.g. anemometers, airflow hoods), wearable technology (e.g. smart glasses), Aeroseal duct sealing, and others. However, wireless power in homes will cause contractors to re-think a lot of how they currently work today (e.g. no more connecting cords to outlets).
Aeroseal Sealing Technology
At the start of 2017, Comfort Institute’s sister brand Aeroseal has expanded it’s duct sealing technology to the whole building envelope known as AeroBarrier. The technology has been in advanced field trials throughout 2017 and has seen tremendous success! It represents a potential sea change in the way homes and buildings are constructed.
On January 9, 2018, AeroBarrier technology will be officially launched at the 2018 NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando, FL. Stop by if you are near the area. You can also learn more about the new product at AeroBarrier.net.
What do you think of these technologies? We’d love to hear from you. Email us, call us (800) 933-5656, or leave a comment below.