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Part Two: Smart Home Technology Trends for Contractors

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In our previous article, we covered the top three technology trends and applicable building codes for new smart homes. Today, we’ll discuss additional smart technologies that are trending with home buyers.

Renewable Energy

Distribution and storage components for a new solar roof fall under the domain of interconnected electric power production sources. Such equipment isn’t necessarily connected to the electric grid, but it does operate in parallel with it.

Article 705 of the 2020 NFPA® National Electric Code® (NEC®) details how to make safe interconnections of grid and off-grid equipment. Article 706 subsequently defines classifications for renewable energy storage systems, where they are to be located, and how they are to be used. For a smart home to be made ready for renewable energy, local inspection authorities also need to see that its service/bus ratings are sized accordingly.

Entertainment Systems

Most existing homes have smart products that fall into this category. For example, there is a proliferation of smart TVs, smart speakers, and gaming consoles — all which can be programmed to their users’ specific preferences.

Category 5e and Category 6 are often used for audio and video applications, while 16 AWG, 4-conductor cables are used to connect smart speakers and other audio applications. As of now, no building codes apply to this category, but UL® tests smart entertainment products so they connect seamlessly, perform as featured, and function safely.

Kitchen and Laundry Appliances

Although available, smart home appliances have not seen widespread adoption as originally anticipated. For example, only 1 percent of U.S. consumers have a smart refrigerator and just
5 percent of U.S. consumers say they plan to buy one.

The smart appliance market appears to have stalled partly due to price. A high-end, Internet-enabled refrigerator costs two to three times that of a standard unit, not counting its wiring. Another, and arguably the biggest, reason why there isn’t a strong demand for smart appliances is that they don’t live up to expectations of integration with other smart devices. Furthermore, they only seem to add another screen to peoples’ homes.

Despite there being a small niche market for smart appliances, their product standards are expected to evolve and adhere to California Title 20, ENERGY STAR ratings, and UL tests for product interoperability and cybersecurity. As with entertainment systems, building codes do not apply to this category.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Systems

Beginning in 2015, California Title 24 required all new home construction to be wired for Level 2 vehicle chargers. By ensuring new home starts come prewired for EV charging, the code streamlines the process of installing a charging station at a later date.

In many areas, contractors are required to submit a site plan for permit approval prior to installing a charging station. Contractors must also comply with state and national codes and regulations that cover safety requirements for charging stations, specifically the 2019 update to Title 24 and Article 625 of the 2020 NEC.

Whole-House Surge Protection

Often overlooked by smart home buyers is whole-house surge protection — and this technology is something all homeowners, even those with existing homes, should consider purchasing.

Whole-house surge protection safeguards all electrical devices from surges caused by nearby lightning strikes, motors (HVAC equipment, appliances, garage door openers), and lights switching on and off. Article 230.67 of the 2020 NEC requires that all new homes (smart or otherwise) have a Type 1 or Type 2 surge product installed to protect sensitive electronics and safety devices like hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Type 1 surge products are permanently connected devices installed before a main disconnect
and can withstand higher surge currents up to 200 kA. Type 2 surge products are permanently connected devices installed after a main disconnect and are used in combination with breakers and fuses. Type 2 surge products are capable of withstanding surge currents up to 108 kA.

We’re Your Home for Smart Home Products and Support

Cable Plus understands your business, which is why we maintain a deep inventory of cabling, cabinets and racks, power solutions, and more to support your smart home jobs. At Cable Plus, we get what you need. More importantly, you get what you need from us.

Part One: Smart Home Technology Trends for Contractors

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According to Mordor Intelligence, the smart home market will grow to an estimated $313.95 billion by 2026. It also includes a projected 1.134 million single-family housing starts by the end of 2021, 1.165 million starts for 2022, and 1.210 million starts in 2023.

With 81% of all home buyers saying they are more likely to purchase a new home with smart products installed — and 60% willing to pay more for smart features — here’s an overview of the top three technologies in demand and applicable building code updates for smart home construction.

HVAC and Climate Control Systems

In recent years, HVAC has become the most-requested technology in the smart home market, surpassing even home security. Buyers want smart climate control systems that maintain comfortable humidity levels, mitigate the spread of viruses, and improve energy efficiency.

To meet this demand, contractors will need to brush up on the requirements spelled out in the 2019 California Title 24, the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IEEC), and the federal government’s ENERGY STAR® program.

Title 24, the law of the land in California, is a de facto standard for many contractors in all 50 states. Its most recent update pertinent to smart home climate control involves duct testing, HVAC sizing, and thermostats. In addition, the 2021 IEEC provides the latest compliance approaches to achieving residential energy efficiency, especially with mechanical and water heating systems. Lastly, contractors must ensure new single-family homes are up to date meeting energy-efficiency requirements so those dwellings can earn ENERGY STAR certification.

Security and Surveillance

Previously, this was the leading category on smart home wish lists, with more than 60% of home buyers wanting smart locks and alarms, video doorbells, surveillance cameras, and the ability to monitor their house via their smart phone.

Although there are no pertinent building codes for this category, there may be codes developed in the near feature that consider egress options — like smart locks, garage door openers, and video doorbells — from a cybersecurity perspective.

Security applications most often use 22 AWG, 4-conductor cable. In addition, shielded RG59 coaxial cable commonly connects surveillance cameras to a digital video recorder.

Lighting and Window Coverings

Almost always near the top of every home buyer’s list is smart lighting technology. It enables homeowners to program lights and window shades to automatically adjust at scheduled times, either by phone app or proprietary keypads.

Driving this part of the industry is the 2019 California Title 24. This update made major changes to light source markings and JA8 performance requirements, new exterior and interior light source categories and compliances, and language clarification for interior switching devices
and controls. 

In part two, we’ll cover additional smart technology categories, including one that all new and existing homes should have!

Part Two: The Connectivity of the Supply Chain

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In our previous article, we covered how the global pandemic has affected manufacturers and shipping firms in Asia. Today, we’ll discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on the domestic supply chain.

Destination Frustration

Shipping problems are not unique to Asian markets. Here in the United States, the coronavirus has reduced the number of longshoremen, truck drivers, and rail workers. Between the shortage in American personnel and the volume of imports coming into Los Angeles and Long Beach, cargo ships often have to anchor for a week or more off the coast before they can come into either port and unload.

A lack of longshoremen at destination ports means vessels cannot be unloaded in a timely manner, and it’s forcing some operations to cancel voyages. In turn, this means empty cargo containers cannot be cycled back into the shipping chain, making the container shortage even worse.

Could shipping firms reroute their vessels to ports besides Los Angeles and Long Beach? Yes. However, dock workers are already overwhelmed in other ports and a change in destination would increase ocean transit delays.

Fewer Truckers

There are about 80,000 fewer truckers this year compared to 2020. While COVID-19 has been a contributing factor to the drop-off, many truckers are also leaving the workforce because the U.S. Department of Transportation set the maximum number of hours that truckers can work per week. Since drivers are usually paid by the mile, they cannot earn as much as before. Thus, they’ve either left for greener pastures or retired.

The trucker shortage, however, is likely to deepen. Almost 60% of all current drivers are 45 or older, and nearly a quarter of truckers are over 55. Prior to the coronavirus, there were 14 million job openings for drivers, but only 1.9 million hires were made in 2019. Since March 2020, there has been a 40% decrease in driver training because of smaller classes or commercial driver’s licensing schools have closed.

Fewer drivers means fewer goods moving overland to warehouses and store shelves. In other words, lead times stretch out longer and shortages continue.

Lean Weakness

Many Lean Six Sigma black belt types who mastered “just in time” supply chain management have seen their training and certifications upended by the coronavirus.

This is leading to a rethinking of lean inventory. For instance, manufacturers of computing equipment may keep a higher stock of chips in reserve. This change would build resiliency into their organizations and lessen the effects of a future shortage. Companies would spend more on inventory, but then again, lean supply works only if manufactured products and their components are readily available. 

Strengthening the Chain

Cable Plus has taken steps to improve our supply chain and shipping services. While there will continue to be disruptions to the overall supply chain for some time, we want to assure you that Cable Plus will continue to provide you with the right solutions at the right price — right away.

Part One: The Connectivity of the Supply Chain

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The global pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of daily lives, from how we interact with others on a personal basis to how we conduct commerce.

Cable Plus has faced the same challenges as other businesses in that the coronavirus has interrupted our supply chain from time to time. While we continue to go above and beyond to help you get the solutions you need to connect your networks, we thought discussing how the world is linked together via supply chains will provide a better perspective on today’s shipping and inventory challenges.

Production Problems

For decades, American businesses have off-shored production for cost-savings. And the nations that we’ve outsourced to have themselves sent production to southeast Asian factories, where various parts and components can be made for less.

That’s just good business sense, right? Well, it was before the pandemic, and it might be once again when COVID-19 is in our rear-view mirror. But for now, factories and exporters in Indonesia and Vietnam are struggling to contain the delta variant and manage production slowdowns, which both have an adverse impact on the supply chain.

There has also been a pair of factory fires in Japan that directly impacts the connected world. One factory makes advanced sensing devices and the other manufactures fiberglass used in circuit boards. The result is shortages, which aren’t just for toilet paper anymore.

For instance, consider semiconductor chips. With lead times about a year out, the high demand for chips could see shortages last well into 2023 and beyond. This affects the production of computing and networking devices, vehicles, smart home devices, gaming consoles, and many other goods.

Companies have always focused on having greater access to supplies — and at lower costs — over their direct competitors. Now, companies across multiple industries are in an overheated competition for the same supplies, such as chips.

Shipping Difficulties

Production slowdowns caused by COVID-19 and resultant shortages don’t exist in a vacuum. They also affect shipping, which is where the supply chain experiences all kinds of disruptions.

To begin, China recently shut down the ports of Shenzhen and Ningbo due to virus outbreaks. China is
so determined to stamp out the virus that Ningbo, the world’s third-busiest container port, was closed for two weeks — after only one dockworker tested positive.

Next, ocean cargo prices have increased by a factor of six, with the median cost of shipping a 40-foot container from Shanghai to Los Angeles skyrocketing from $1300 in February 2020 to nearly $7800 in August 2021. There are also bidding wars to secure space on cargo ships. With shipping prices rising, some exporters have decided to cancel shipments altogether.

What caused the spike in shipping prices? A shortage of another kind. There just aren’t enough shipping containers to go around for lucrative North American and European routes.

Currently, there is a glut of empty containers sitting in South American and African ports and rail yards. But they’re not being picked up because COVID-19 has caused labor shortages across all industries, with shipping being no exception.

A shortage of containers in Asia, North America, and Europe further delays companies from getting their goods on board a vessel. In addition, cargo ships are leaving port much later than normal and losing their docking slots at destination ports.

Will shipping firms pick up empty containers from these less profitable destinations when the world bounces back from the pandemic? Stay tuned!

Data Center Disruptions — Turbulence Followed by Boom

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The pandemic has expanded our use of many technologies. Web meetings, video calls, collaboration tools, streaming, online shopping, and many others have kept us safe and productive. What followed was an enormous demand for Internet Service Providers and data centers that support streaming services, cloud computing, content delivery, and video conferencing.  

While these demands drove urgent projects to increase capacity, private cloud and enterprise-related projects faced new headwinds. Many IT departments shifted to essential services, postponing system migrations, upgrades, and new deployments. The impact on the data center contractor depended on what their clients’ data centers supported.

We still see the impacts of this disruption, but what is becoming clear is that the service demands created by the pandemic will become long term. There are also new drivers for that demand to increase. Businesses will restart projects. They cannot be delayed indefinitely. Ultimately, the data center market will be driven to new highs.

The future of the data center remains bright. As businesses accept the long-term implications of the pandemic and sustainability of at-home workers is proven, investments that support this way of life will occur.

Drivers Accelerating Data Center Demand

Entertainment — A winter of limited entertainment options will drive content and gaming consumption. Families putting off a 4K investment, streaming service, or a new gaming system will be driven to do something to shake off the pending gloom of a pandemic winter. The latest home entertainment includes more 4K options and gaming subscriptions. This trend is accelerating with the PS5 Plus Collection, Nintendo Switch Store, and Xbox Game Pass.

5G — Apple is releasing its first 5G devices. In larger markets, faster consumption at the edge will drive greater demand at the core. Furthermore, we are relying on smartphones more while working remotely, and using them for backup connectivity during home network outages.

Social — Video chats, Zoom meetings, and sharing videos with family members is replacing family gatherings. Sadly enough, these services may even replace holiday visits for many Americans this year. While virtual gatherings are a poor substitute, post-pandemic, society will have grown comfortable with meeting family and friends this way, familiar with the technology, and ultimately more likely to use it long term.

Wi-Fi 6 — Lower latency and higher speeds will drive more consumption at the edge, increasing UHD viewing, and supporting more connected devices in businesses and homes.

Work from Home — Commercial buildings may be putting less strain on Internet Service Providers, but residential demand is up. We are working from home, learning at home, and streaming entertainment content all day long. You may not have been allowed to stream podcasts, music, or even your binge program at the office, but you are at home.

Enterprise Demand — Many workers have been sent home to work remotely. Some have chosen to do so forever. The pandemic has thrown the work-from-home trend into high gear and may become the future norm. While some technologies are hard to imagine today, VR collaboration solutions, dedicated HD conference systems, and virtual town hall meetings could be central components of tomorrow’s productivity improvements.

Building Automation — Remote monitoring and management has increased as a driver for building automation solutions. Reducing on-site facility staff is possible when building systems can be viewed and adjusted from home.

Smart Homes — We are receiving more at-home deliveries for our households and businesses. The value of those deliveries is increasing along with the demand to keep those deliveries safe. Remote entry systems such as MyQ, Amazon Key, and the related cameras are adding to home networks. Those systems also lead to more integrations with Google Nest, Alexa, Ring, and other home automation solutions for lighting, HVAC, and security.

It’s becoming clear that the pandemic has accelerated demand for many technologies. These technologies are likely to remain in higher demand post-pandemic. Once met by a return of full business operation, the data center’s consumer and enterprise sides will result in a boom in demand. The pandemic has disrupted data center business, but in many ways has created longer-term demand for growth.

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is Here. Are You Ready?

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Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is now available in enterprise-class, wireless access points and supported by some of the latest laptops and mobile devices. This new standard has several exciting benefits and is easy to adopt.

Benefits:

While any environment, whether home or office, will have improved performance with Wi-Fi 6, high-density environments with lots of users, devices and IoT will benefit the most.

  • Capacity: Notable performance improvements in dense environments like schools and offices. You can expect reduced latency and speeds of up to 4x compared to Wi-Fi 5 in dense environments. Single users will see around a 40% improvement in speed.
  • IoT: Ideal for large-scale IoT environments; low latency, Targeted Wake Time, and coverage in the 2.4 GHz band
  • Battery Life: Targeted Wake Time can reduce battery consumption for connected devices and IoT by as much as two thirds
  • Performance: Great for applications that demand performance like voice, gaming, and UHD streaming
  • Future: FCC approves 6 GHz band in April 2020. Wi-Fi 6E will bring speeds closer to the theoretical max of 9.6 GB/s. Devices will need 6GHz chipset to support that band.

Preparing for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E:

Wi-Fi 6 operates in the same 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands as its predecessor, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). Support for these bands means your new Wi-Fi 6 access points can provide the same range and ability to penetrate building materials as your previous access points. There’s no need to change their location or add more access points for coverage. The only real concern is to make sure your cabling is ready to support Wi-Fi 6 capacity.

Most manufacturers recommend Category 6A cabling to support PoE and data rates up to 10BASE-T. Although the first wave of Wi-Fi 6 products will require 2.5 or 5BASE-T, which could be supported by Category 5e or Category 6, later versions are expected to go beyond that capacity.

If you’re looking to upgrade your company’s Wi-Fi, check with your integrator to make sure your existing cabling meets your requirements.