Podcast Transcript Episode 8: Future-Proofing Your Electrical Infrastructure: Preparing for Tomorrow's Technology Today
Episode 8: Future-Proofing Your Electrical Infrastructure: Preparing for Tomorrow's Technology Today
Transcript:
Speaker 1
Hello again. This is the Nassau National cable podcast. This is Karellys, your host. And today we're going to be talking a little bit about new electrical infrastructure, future-proofing it, and making sure that we prepare for tomorrow's technology today. As usual, we have Vita, again, as our resident expert. Hi, Vita. How are you today?
Speaker 2
Hi, I'm great. And you?
Speaker 1:
Good. I'm very good, very excited about this topic. So let's start talking. As we know, this is the 21st century, a lot of technology, a lot of innovations, a lot of different and new things are coming to us in a very like stream way. It's one after the other. We're not getting time to prepare for the first one when we already have the second and the third and the fourth. So what I want to do today is introduce a little bit about the technologies that we have access to today and maybe give ideas or give advice to our listeners as to how they can prepare to take advantage of all these new technologies coming up that will, in a way, make our life easier. So for example, we have now that for homeowners, it is, I wouldn't want to say easier, but it is very more common to find different versions of solar panels. The first technology that we will be talking about is renewable energy. And these solar panels are very different than they used to be back in the days when the technology started. Back in the day, it was a very heavy panel, so you would have to put in a different and very specific angle in your house or in an area of your house that would make sure to receive the right amount of sunlight in order for it to be effective.
Speaker 1:
Nowadays, it can be even on the windows. They don't have to have the panels that we are so used to. But in a window? It seems rather crazy that a solar panel could look like that, but that's what technology has done for us to now today. Vita, can you tell us a little bit about what other technology advancements should we look forward to in the coming future and talk to us a little bit about the different categories and what we can find out there for every different industry?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, sure. So of course, there are a lot of different things happening and it's very easy to be overwhelmed by all the technologies available. But the thing with these technologies is that they are happening, whether we notice it or not. And sometimes stuff just happens in baby steps, so we have some time to adjust. But if I were to name some trends that definitely are shaping our future and will be shaping our future in 10 years, the first trend I would mention is, of course, renewable energy because the shift towards renewable energy like solar, wind, and hydropower is already a major trend, and it's going to be even a bigger trend in the coming years. Is because of the efforts to have more efficient sources of energy and the energy crisis around the world, we will see even more new technologies related to solar, wind, and other types of renewable energy. Also related to renewable energy is the increasing number of technologies involved in energy storage. We will see some new batteries and it will be more important to balance supply with demand and ensure that the electrical grid is stable. Another trend that everybody is noticing already and many of us are involved in is the expansion of the electrical vehicle market.
Speaker 2:
We have much more electric cars right now than we had a couple of years before that. We will, of course, see even more electric cars in the upcoming years. In just a few decades, there will be more electric cars than standard vehicles. Because of that, the infrastructure is changing and we see new electrical vehicle charging infrastructure everywhere. And some even would say that infrastructure is not changing fast enough for the increase in the number of vehicles. Also, another trend is the smart grid. So, the electrical grid will be now using sensors, communication networks, and some very advanced data analytics for real-time monitoring and optimization. And in general, in the future, electrical systems will be managed more efficiently, and it's already being done right now as well. And we are moving toward more technologies helping us to be more energy efficient. Also, also in some more homeowner-related, easier trends, it's probably smart homes. So as consumers, we already noticing that our homes at every budget and every type are slowly turning into smart homes. For example, many of us already have stuff like smart thermostats to regulate the temperature in our homes and also smart air conditioner systems.
Speaker 2:
With many new devices in our homes, we use apps to control them and it will only become more efficient in the future. So the transition toward interoperability of all of these devices. Many homes will have a centralized system that controls all of these devices, and it will involve voice technology. We can control different devices in our homes and our houses just by using our voice. And also the trend in smart homes is towards more effective security. For example, we have now smart locks that make it more difficult for robbers to access our houses and just generally make our lives safer. So there will be more exciting stuff related to this in the coming years, of course.
Speaker 1
Well, definitely very interesting. There's always been this sense of technology controlling humans, even in the movies forever, since I remember. And now that I hear you talk about all this technology coming into our own house, we have an app that controls absolutely everything from turning on the air conditioner to turning on the stove even if you're not physically present in the house. It sounds crazy, but it also sounds like it's very shocking. I wouldn't want to say shocking or more exciting as to what humans have been capable of.
Speaker 2
It could have been shocking but not in a negative way because it definitely doesn't have to control us because the point is that we can control it and make our life easier by using this technology. It's just like we need to adapt and find ways to use it. But definitely, for example, you couldn't even imagine stuff that you have at home right now to be available 10 years ago. So it definitely has the potential again to change lives for the better and make our lives more comfortable. But it's just like it's the devil is in the details, so you just have to use it.
Speaker 1
Absolutely. And one of those little details, and I would guess, probably put my money on it being the most important one, it's planning ahead. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but we've talked about this in several podcasts already, and several episodes, and I have tried my best to emphasize the importance of planning, doing research, and making sure you have all the correct details in order to put your project in place. So involving technology the most important thing that you can do for your project and to make sure that you are using the correct material. Second, you're saving and utilizing the correct money, the right amount of money for your project is very important.
And to control that we need to plan ahead, we need to do our research, we need to make sure that we get in advice from the right local contractors and sometimes the Internet. Right now, we have a very smart, AI available to almost everybody in the world on the Internet. That has the answers to almost everything. I don't want to say it has the right answer, or it's 100% sure, but it definitely has a good amount of knowledge that you can use.
And I've always said it and in all our episodes, make sure whatever you find on the Internet, you corroborate with a local electrician or a local contractor because remember codes and everything that is allowed in one place is not the same as that it's allowed in another place. So, everything changes by region by state by city, and you need to make sure that you're doing the right thing for your house, you don't want to make sure that you finish the project and then the inspector comes, and guess what? You're not up to the code. So that means that you lost all that time and money on a project that you have to restart because you didn't follow the right procedures, So vita going after what I said, Planning ahead in a rapidly evolving technology world how important it is and when and what should we take into consideration in order for us to do this?
Speaker 2: Sure, planning is important for every electrical project but with future trends, I would say that it's just very convenient to have a track of trends and educate yourself in these trends because, if you're following trends and know, what's happening and have a good picture of what is available on the market, you can get ahead of your competitors if you're a business, or you can save some significant costs if your homeowner. Just make use of new technologies in a way that makes more sense for you and in a way that saves you time, energy, and money. So it's a really good thing to always, follow new technologies, what's happening in the different sectors of the economy and how will it change in a few years.
Speaker 1: So, knowing that we have to plan ahead Vita, what do you recommend for homeowners? Let's start with them. In order to proof their project, their home, it's a place where a lot of people are gonna come and hopefully, they're gonna stay in for a long time. How come they future-proof that project for a future of technology?
Speaker 2: Yeah, so say that right now is a great time to prepare for technologies because it is quite rewarding and you can also save money and enhance the quality of your life if you have time and resources to do that. So you don't have to start with something radical or very expensive. You can start with some small steps to see how technology can benefit you. For example, one thing that all homeowners should do is just upgrade their electrical system if they have the ability to do. So for example, if living in an older home, I think it will be a great time to have an electrical upgrade. To handle the increased electrical load that these new modern devices in appliances have, it's actually a good idea to upgrade your electrical systems at all times. But now with many more different devices coming in the next years, it's just a good time to prepare yourself to have a smarter home in a few years. Also, another thing that you can do right now is just install the smart meter if it's available in your area, or if your utility company makes this available. A smart meter gives you a piece of real-time information about your energy usage and it generally helps you control your energy consumption and save money on bills. Of course, I talked about this before, but another great way to start right now is to invest in some smart home devices. This involves a lot of different things, for example, a smart thermostat that controls the temperature in the house or smart lighting as it is efficient, and is controlled by you through an App. Also, in this case, in this way, you can also increase your energy efficiency and make your life more convenient. So, It's not just like one device for all you can look into devices that are already available on the market and just see for yourself which of those makes more sense for your house. Another thing that you can do is consider investing in renewable energy. If you live in a private home, you can see if it makes sense for you to install solar panels. If you can do that right now, it can reduce your reliance on the grid and lower your energy bills.
Speaker 1:
You are right, it installing solar panels right now can save you a ton of money in the future, we talked about it in a previous episode and I recommend everybody to listen.
Speaker 2:
We have an episode on it definitely but it's still a competent of new technologies and getting ahead of them. So I thought it would be worth mentioning it, especially in the Context of home ownership. Also electric cars, so if you have one or you planning to buy one, it's a good time to do that. And if you are planning to buy a vehicle, in this case, it's worth installing a charging station or building a home station. This also may involve upgrading your electrical system because you will have an additional load from the electrical vehicle. So, this is definitely another thing to think about. And just in general keep yourself informed about emerging technologies and you can keep in contact with your local utility company and see if they have some programs available and demand some response programs. So in this case, you get ahead of infrastructure trends. Sometimes it's not the same in every region and sometimes utility companies have problems, getting ahead of trends. But with enough demand, this issue can be solved and you can see what's available or you can ask them to follow up on new technologies, more.
Speaker 1:
So Vita, and this is a parenthesis, so we can include it or not? Do you have an example of a successful project, where the contractor or the homeowner, or anyone was able to think ahead and proof their electrical infrastructure or technology to be implemented at a later time?
Speaker 2: There are all sorts of different projects. Some of them are big budget Construction sites and big-budget buildings that incorporate all types of new technologies and when they do, the investors can look into it this is a showcasing of the trends, but in the case of homeowners or some usual apartment buildings, it's more difficult than that. But definitely, some regions and some countries are more successful and ahead of the trends. In other ones, for example, even in the United States is currently considered a leader in the development of smart grids. And many utility companies across the country have programs to assist the smart grid. For example, many utility companies install smart meters in their customer's homes, And some of the states that do that are California and Texas, but of course, it's just not the same county by county and some regions will always be ahead of numbers. Also China, of course, China invests a lot of new technology and smart technology is a part of its current efforts to modernize its power infrastructure. So they are trying to get the smart grid to more regions and more cities. And they also try to integrate renewable energy sources and they actually are planning to have a nationwide smart grid this decade. In European Union, also, the adoption of smart grid technology is on the rise, partly because of the goals to reduce carbon emissions. So many countries like Italy Sweden and Spain, have a country-scale deployment of smart meters, and they're also some smart grid projects that are still in development, but we will see it in a couple of years. Many Countries in South Eastern Asia, like South Korea and Singapore, are also upfront with new technologies. It's just like a few examples of that but hopefully, it will become even more mainstream in the next couple of years.
Speaker 1:
Yes, special thinking about the environment of the living, there's nothing wrong with thinking ahead and making sure that we do as much as we can ourselves to help the environment and future generations. So speaking about the United States, I personally seen a growth in the amount or the accessibility of electrical vehicles right now and with that it has come, also, the need for electrical chargers. A lot of people cannot afford to have it at home because they don't own their home. They're living in an apartment where they're 10 floors up. So it's not convenient at all for them to have an electrical charger. So, I've seen a lot of these electrical charger in the parking lots. There's no designed area for these chargers in public places or like we do with the gas stations, But I've seen a lot of this in malls and shopping centers all throughout the country. Can you tell me a little bit about, the developers how are they making sure that they ahead think for the future and prepare now for that when it comes to all these new technologies that are coming to the public?
Speaker 2: Yeah, so electrical vehicles will dominate the vehicle market in the United States very soon. And because of that, the federal government has to keep up with the demand for electric vehicles. And there's actually a target set by 2030 to have half a million electrical vehicle charging stations in the United States. And to support this, there are some funding allocations and incentive programs that are supposed to help build more charging stations in the upcoming few years. And also different states can do it on their own, so there are a lot of states that have their own electrical Vehicle ready targets and grants in different programs that are promoting the installation of charging facilities. But building more charging stations should involve a lot of different factors including utility companies, vehicle manufacturers, and building developers. So, all of them should work together to have more stations. If you are an apartment complex developer, for example, it's very important to have EV vehicles in your project during the design phase. So when you design electric vehicles, it's just for future-proofing, you should incorporate the charging station in your initial design plan. For example, if you have a project in a new residential complex, you can incorporate a charging station at the design stage and just have it built according to this plan. And it’s not just charging stations. Some residential complexes can also incorporate renewable energy. It makes sense to build solar panels, for example, in new apartment complexes, and it's not just it can be a for-profit thing, so, actually, apartment building developers can get profits from building charity stations because the charging stations can not just for people who live in this buildings, but for other people in the neighborhood. So you can sell charging and get back some costs you spent, by making it available to a wider group of people.
Speaker 1: So with what you said, it proves that electricians and contractors need to, especially nowadays when all of these technologies are just coming and they keep, innovating and we keep getting new ones every so often they need to more than anybody else keep themselves in, on the know. How can they anticipate the needs of future technology when planning installations?
Speaker 2: For contractors, it's essential to prepare for tomorrow's technologies to stay competitive and deliver value to your clients. but it's one thing that you can do is just stay informed about all the latest advancements in infrastructure. Including everything that we talked about smart home technologies, renewable systems, and energy storage. You can just attend shows, seminars, webinars, speak with experts and just stay ahead of your field. With some new technologies, we will have some new training and certification available for professionals. So one thing you can do is obtain relevant training and certifications for maintaining this new advanced electrical system and smart technologies. In this way, you can get the necessary skills and also build your trust with clients regarding these new trends. Suppliers of technologies also have a lot of knowledge. So if you network with suppliers and have a strong relationship with them, it can also help you get ahead as a professional.
Speaker 1: So Vita, taking you from what you've said. One of the things that has dominated everything that we've talked about today is the fact that we need to keep upgrading our existing electrical infrastructure, And I want to point out something about that and it's the fact that we don't just need to do it because of new technologies that are coming. Unfortunately, the majority of houses nowadays are not following the electrical code that it's mandated in each one of our countries. And I know this for sure because they're a majority of the houses, especially, let's say, for example, the ones I live in are century-old houses, and when you are not the one, who owned the place, I don't think anybody's going to be investing in making sure that the electrical infrastructure is up to code with the new code. I'm not saying that everybody does it. I'm just saying some people do so. It is important to upgrade here and there every once in a while because it saves people. And it also makes it easier for new technologies to be adapted to the current system that we have in place. So upgrading existing electrical infrastructure, just by saying that my mind goes in a short circuit. It sounds like a lot of trouble, breaking walls and making sure that the cables are in disconnecting everything. My God. It sounds like a hassle. That's why not many people want to go through it. How do homeowners and businesses can upgrade to accommodate future technologies without all these extensive, renovations and consuming changes that they need to do?
Speaker 2: It can be very expensive to do some radical changes in your electrical system but you don't have to cause major disruption or have an extensive renovation to have some effective changes. So there are a lot of strategies to start small with changing your electrical infrastructure. For example, one thing that you can do is have an energy audit. So before you do any upgrades, you can just do an energy audit and it can help you understand your current energy usage patterns and identify the exact areas or upgrades that would be most beneficial because sometimes people just do upgrades for the sake of upgrades or do something very radical when in reality what they need to do is just make some minor changes. Another thing you can do is to use more wireless systems because many modern smart devices and systems use wireless communication and this just reduces the need for extensive wiring. So, this is a trend of the future that everyone can incorporate into their homes, and this is something to look out for. Also, one easy thing that you can do is use a smart circuit breaker now available extensively. They can replace traditional circuit breakers in your panel and give access to energy monitoring and some control capacities. It wasn't available before and the installation of this is usually very straightforward and it doesn't require full wiring.
Also if you're not sure about which changes would benefit you it makes sense to hire a professional and usually good professionals will know how to implement some upgrades with minimal disruption or no disruption at all. So yeah, if you're not sure what to do, it's best to consult someone who has a good knowledge of stuff that is currently available for homeowners.
Speaker 1: Right, so you have already pointed out some potential challenges and solutions
for these upgrades, as well as some cost-effective ideas that we should consider when making these changes and updating our electrical infrastructure, whether you're a homeowner where you're like a business owner or any type of Real estate property that you might have. Let's make sure that you always do your research and it is a very important thing for all contractors and electricians out there. Keep yourselves updated, make sure that you do some of the things Vita recommended early, go to conferences, research, and stay up to date with everything that's coming -innovations, technology, and new methodology of doing something, what the codes are, stay up to date, not just because it's good for you and your business. But also because it's going to be needed whenever you are designing all these projects, Thinking ahead should be safe and should make sure that whatever technology is going to be implemented at a later time would not cause any problem with any other part of the building because you took all the measures in place, in order to prevent any faulty connection or anything whatsoever. So, It is very important to do your research. And with planning ahead comes a lot of preparedness and this is one of the things to make sure, as a real estate owner that you are consulting the right person for your project. That you always make sure you have the project inspected after, to make sure that you're up to code and everything is up to the mark of your locality. Yes, so I think we've said just remember, there's a lot of technology that is right now available for everybody. Not everything is usable in your project but they're still several varieties of the same product that you can find that can be used for your project. So make sure you do your research, make sure you corroborate with your electricians with your contractors, with everything that you need to, in order to have a save in a very peaceful project. Vita, I don't know if there's anything else that you would like to add to end this brief discussion that we just had about tomorrow's technology today. But I do want to add one thing and that is the fact that National National Cables has available for you a great variety of cables and products that you can utilize on your project. If we don't have it available, just let us know and we will find it for you. You have access to our catalog and all the products that we have on our website at Nassaunationalcable.com, You can find millions of products there available for you and projects, anything industrial, anything, electrical you might think you need, it's there. Just go there and ask We have a 24/7 customer service available for you. And there's always a person available to help you with your worries.
Also, I want to remind everybody that Garrie, who has made possible this podcast to happen, is
after me because I don't say it enough. We have a discount for you, who stayed the whole podcast and listened to our discussion. So we have a discount. So On your order, of more than $2,000, we have a 3%, discount if you go to our website and use the code, GARRIE3. So let me spell it for you. That is a G A R R, I E. And the number three just use it on your checkout and make sure that your order is of more than $2,000.
Remember this is not for everybody. It's just for you who stayed up until the end of this episode. And again I want to thank you for listening. just remember if you have anything to say, any questions suggestions comments, Leave us all your feedback. We have this podcast available on our website. You can find the link on our social media we are on Twitter, we're on Instagram, we're on Facebook, go follow us and we appreciate your time and your interest in knowing a little bit. Vita. I want to thank you very much for all the information that you were able to share with us today. It's a very interesting topic, a bit general. it's useful to give our listeners, a good idea of what's to come. And what tips to use in order to be ready now for tomorrow, that's going to involve a lot of technology that is going to make our life easier, think about it. If you're a homeowner, you can go on vacation to China and if your house is in New York, you can still have access to your live feed and monitor what's happening in your life. That is just something out of this world, and that's something that is going to give you peace of mind when you go on this vacation and enjoy your time there and learn about the culture and immerse yourself and this experience. So thank you very much, Vita, hope to see you next time and just last, do you have anything else you would like to add that is important that maybe we didn't have time to talk about earlier?
Speaker 2: I think we covered it all in great detail, but I wanted just to say that new technologies could be overwhelming, but there is absolutely no need to be overwhelmed because they exist for our comfort and we can make use of them.
Speaker 1: Think about the example that I just gave, it's designed to give you peace of mind and to make your life easier. So again, thank you very much for making today possible and making this discussion as interesting and knowledgeable as it was. And I hope everybody enjoyed today's topic. See you next time and remember to follow us and use that discount because Garrie is going to not make it available for everybody anymore. If you guys don't use it. All right, next time. And thank you again for listening to Nassau National cable podcast. Bye, have a great day.