Category: <span>Technology</span>

Emerging smart roof technologies can work to combat climate change

By Karen L. Edwards, RT3.

Cool roofs are often specified to reduce the urban heat island effect and help keep building interiors cooler in warm climates. But what about in cities that have cold winters? Reflective roofs don’t absorb heat so this could lead to colder interiors, increases in heating costs, and higher electricity consumption – not very friendly to the environment.

Our planet is getting warmer. This graph by NASA illustrates the “change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-1980 average temperatures. Eighteen of the 19 warmest years all have occurred since 2001, with the exception of 1998.”

The challenge of managing extreme climate change isn’t going away anytime soon, if the recent heatwave that gripped most of the country is any indication. Anchorage, Alaska hit 90 degrees for the first time in recorded history. New York City experienced a power outage in the middle of the heatwave leaving 50,000 without the ability to run their air conditioners.

So, what role can the roof play in climate change? A lot more than you might think, according to a recent article in Architect Magazine that discusses new smart roof technology that can adapt and respond to conditions. New York-based United Environment and Energy has developed a “bio-based thermochromic material that can selectively reflect and absorb solar heat.” Funded through a Department of Energy grant, the principal investigator, Ben Wen, coated asphalt shingles with a waste cooking oil substance that features an ingredient that makes it change color when it’s hot.

Another new technology was developed by scientists in Zurich that allows the roof surface to sweat similarly to human skin in order to cool the surface down. Once the target temperature of 90-degrees F is reached, a thermo-responsive gel releases stored water between a polycarbonate membrane and PVC foil, cooling the roof. Rain ‘recharges’ the cooling system.

In Portugal, researchers are focusing on roofing tile, which typically retains between 85 and 95 percent of the solar energy they receive. They have created smart ceramic tiles that use a material similar to that found in smart windows, that allows infrared light to pass through, but blocks it once the temperature goes above 120-degrees F.

Engineers at the University of Boulder evaluated smart roof technologies and published their findings in Science Direct. They evaluated whether a “potential solution to preserving high cooling load savings without accruing a large heating load penalty is to implement a switchable roof reflectance technology; allowing a low reflectance roof during the heating season and a high reflectance roof during the cooling season.”

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. New technologies are emerging every day that will improve the performance of each and every building and home around the world. Expect to see some of these technologies on the rooftop in the very near future.

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How To Manage Your Social Media Marketing

By Art Unlimited.

Did you know that for 45% of consumers, social media is one of the first channels they go to if they have questions or issues?

This fact alone makes it essential to have a strong social presence and digital marketing strategy (after all, they need to see you’re active and engaged). We’re here to help you through the first steps of launching a successful social presence.

Social Media & Your Website

If you’re starting your social media journey because you want it to drive tons of website traffic and conversions, be patient! Social media is, by definition, social. Badly presented sales content won’t make people like you, especially if they don’t know you yet. It’s wiser to start with a focus on brand awareness, customer relationships, and showing your values.

It’s true that connecting your social channels to your website (and vice-versa) will strengthen your website’s SEO and increase website visits, but a successful social media strategy takes time, effort, and consistent engagement to grow.

Get a Handle on It

When you’re ready to start, even if you’re launching only one social channel at a time, try to claim a good username (handle) on any social media platform you may later want to use. Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., are all good places to have a presence. As your brand or business becomes more popular, people are more likely to snatch up the good names and leave you with a long, messy handle.

Why Social Media?

Social media is not only another way to ‘be found.’ According to PwC, “Social networks are the biggest source of inspiration for consumer purchases, with 37% of consumers finding purchase inspiration through the channel.”

If you’re marketing to a younger audience, it’s worth knowing that social is the most relevant advertising channel for 50% of Gen Z and 42% of millennials.

Channel

The channel, or platform, of social media you use greatly forms the outcome you will receive from your marketing tactics. Places like Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can allow you to send indirect messages to long-time customers as well as prospective clients.  The key is knowing what your message is! When you’re creating an account and planning out your content (whether for a week, a month, or a quarter), use this as your starting point:

[Social platform] is where {target audience} can find {what content}. 

A rural resort could fill it out this way:

{Instagram} is where {adventure-seeking 25-35-year-olds} can find out {about our fun vibes and local attractions/activities}

This can be the same for more than one channel, or it can be different for each one! As you watch your audience’s engagement rates, you may find the people you’re picturing aren’t the ones loving your content, and that’s okay too. In the world of social media, where a post rarely matters more than 24 hours, it’s vital to be flexible in your game plan.

If you don’t know which channel (or channels) to choose, start with this general guide:

  • Facebook –  97% of social advertisers chose Facebook as their most used and most useful social media platform in 2018, and Facebook is the second favorite platform for consuming videos after YouTube! Have a lot of video content and a slightly older demographic? Start here.
  • LinkedIn – Recognized as the top-rated social network for lead generation, LinkedIn is especially useful for B2B (business-to-business) companies. Why? It’s chock full of decision-makers.
  • Twitter – How many times have you heard Twitter is going out of style or that people don’t really like it? In truth, Twitter is still growing rapidly and becoming increasingly popular as a customer support channel! Twitter is more of a niche platform than some others, so it may be wiser not to favor this channel if you don’t have a schedule which allows you to engage with your followers in the moment.
  • Instagram – This platform is becoming increasingly popular for all ages, but over half their user base is people from ages 18-24! If you’ve got strong visual content (Instagram is all about photos) and a younger demographic, get started now! 80% of Instagram’s users follow at least one business account. Better brush up on your hashtags!
  • Pinterest – This visually pleasing, unique channel is usually the odd one out in a social media line-up, but 90% of weekly active users are utilizing Pinterest to make purchasing decisions. Also, it’s actually the 4th most popular social media platform in the US! They’re still growing, and they recently expanded their advertising options to make them more versatile for marketers. While your average tweet is relevant for about 18 minutes, content on Pinterest can often last 1-3 months!

Post

Your account is set up, you know your ideal audience, and you’re ready to roll! Except, what do you post? In your social media work, it’s important to strike a balance between fun, educational, and more business-oriented content.

Many social media professionals employ the 5.3.2 rule: for every ten posts you create, five should be interesting content from other sources, three should be educational, non-salesy, relevant information for your follower base, and the last two should be fun company-culture posts.

Unless you have a great deal to deliver to a warm audience, an outright sales call is almost never the way to go. Gain your followers’ trust, teach them how your product can solve their problems, and nudge them in the right direction so they’re free to seek you out when they’re ready.

Reach

The number of people who have seen your posts and updates is commonly called the reach of the post. Reach is tied closely to engagement; if people are engaging with your content, the social platform rewards it for being interesting by giving it better reach.

The more people see you on social media, the more people will be drawn back to your website. And even if they don’t convert off the first visit from social, or the second or the third, you’re in the front of their mind. They’re likely to Google your company by name and convert later!

Engagement

Engagement is when someone interacts with your social media account beyond looking and scrolling by. To engage, they click a link, like a post, retweet, swipe through photos, or comment on your posts. People are on social media to be entertained, so make sure your content appeals to them and encourages them to interact.

Schedule

You want to post when the most people are online, or just before they get there so your post is already nestled in the newsfeed. On most platforms, you’ll be able to find these activity metrics somewhere in the platforms own insights. While your social channel is new and hasn’t collected enough data to display these metrics, follow a guide, or in general, plan to post in the afternoon between 12 pm and 5 pm (stick to later times on the weekends).

To maximize the flow of traffic to your social media page, get in touch with Art Unlimited to help give you the right marketing techniques to get ahead of your competitors on the web (and on social media!).

Source: Art Unlimited

Robots might one day be driving your trucks

By Karen L. Edwards.

There is a new robot in development that can turn any vehicle into a driverless one. IVObility, an Israeli startup is developing a robot that sits in the driver’s seat and literally drives the vehicle. It’s coming in the not-too-distant future with a 2020 launch planned for government and off-road commercial applications, with a consumer-market version in consideration.

This means that potentially in a few years, robots will become our drivers. The IVObility robot will work in any vehicle, it doesn’t have to be equipped with sensors or other self-driving technology. The company successfully develop an autonomous underwater vehicle that drives itself called the HydroCamel and is now turning its development efforts to cars and trucks that drive on land.

Whereas most autonomous vehicles remove the operations from the driver’s seat, this robot sits in it and ‘sees’ what a driver would see. It looks somewhat human, with a head containing sensors and arm and leg-like limbs to work the pedals and the steering wheel. By having the robot sitting in the seat driving, the vehicle doesn’t need to have LiDar, radar or other sensors mounted around the vehicle.

CEO Tzvika Goldner told Car and Driver that “IVObility aims to launch its driving robot by the middle of next year and intends to offer three versions: most will be fully autonomous, but some will offer more cost-effective semi-autonomous capability or remote-controlled operation.”

The company is initially focusing on off-road applications such as mining, agriculture, border patrol and security with a pilot being launch at an airport in Europe later this year. This plug-and-play style model might be the answer for cost effectively retrofitting existing vehicles into self-driving ones.

Some things to consider are if and when a consumer version is ready to hit the streets, how could that affect who we have driving trucks to jobsites and what impact would that have on insurance costs? While there is no mention of what a robot chauffeur would cost, there is potential for insurance or liability cost savings to offset or even pay for the robot.

Photo credit: IVObility

Solar installations in the U.S. hit 2 million mark

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

Solar in the U.S. is on the rise with installations expected to double again by 2023. A new report shows that there are now two million solar installations in the U.S. The two million number was reached only three years after the installations first reached 1 million, a number that took 40 years to reach.

The report and numbers were release by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA). The number of installations in the U.S. is expected to double to four million in just four years, reaching that number by 2023. “We believe that the 2020s will be the decade that solar becomes the dominant new form of energy generation,” SEIA CEO Abigail Ross-Hopper said in the statement.

According to Reuters, solar has grown in popularity due to falling prices on the technology, state mandates that require energy companies to source larger amounts of renewable energy and federal tax credits that can be worth up to 30 percent of the cost of the system.

Solar installations in the U.S. can now produce enough electricity to power more than 12 million homes according to the SEIA statement. California was responsible for 51 percent of the first million installations and 43 percent of the second million. Other states that helped to drive the growth include Texas, Rhode Island, Florida, Utah and Maryland, which combined have grown from around 50,000 installations to more than 200,000.

The statement reports that “Looking ahead, Illinois will see cumulative installations increase from 4,000 today to nearly 100,000 by 2024. While California will continue to lead the nation in installations, the remaining top 10 state markets will see faster growth. Nearly 750,000 installations are expected in those markets over the next 5 years, compared to 500,000 installations over the last 5 years.”

“According to our latest forecasts, by 2024 there will be, on average, one solar installation per minute,” said Michelle Davis, senior solar analyst at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, in a May 9 statement. “That’s up from one installation every 10 minutes in 2010.”

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Photo credit: SEIA.

Source: RoofersCoffeeShop.

Construction company to use robotics to build renewable energy projects

By Karen L. Edwards

Built Robotics, a company specializing in making robotic construction equipment, announced that it has partnered with construction firm Mortenson to use their earthmoving robotics on renewable projects like wind farms and solar. These types of projects then to be in remote areas that are far from traditional workforce centers, making labor an even bigger challenge than it already is.

According to Built Robotics, their “robotic equipment is able to shoulder some of the load by assisting with basic, repetitive tasks, freeing up human operators to focus on the more specific, complex and critical activities.”

Eric Sellman, Vice President and General Manager of the Civil Group at Mortenson, said in the announcement, “I see Built Robotics as the next generation of construction technology. Consistent with Mortenson’s history of ingenuity and innovation in construction, we are partnering with Built Robotics as they develop and deploy technology that enables autonomous heavy equipment operation. Mortenson and Built Robotics will work together with this technology on select renewable energy projects within our Wind and Solar groups. Our goal is to embrace the change that is happening in our industry to create value for our customers and opportunities for Mortenson and our team members.”

Sellman told Engineering News Record (ENR) that it’s a long-term agreement for the next few years to continue to expand the company’s deployment of autonomous equipment on renewable energy jobs. The company did its first project with Built Robotics in August of 2018, testing the equipment on wind farms in Kansas. Sellman said that the repetitive nature of some of the foundation work on these projects make them a good fit for autonomous equipment. ENR reported that the “machines us GPS tracking to remain within geo-fenced areas, and LIDAR provides collision avoidance and obstacle detection.”

Mortenson employees are excited to be implementing the technology. Molly Morgan, an equipment operator commented, “I’m excited about the potential for Built’s technology. Our top priority is safety — if the robot can work on steep slopes, or near unstable ground, or in challenging or risky situations, then we one-hundred percent should use it. And I’m excited to learn the new skills I’ll need to work with the technology.”

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Construction robotics market expected to reach $226 million by 2025

By Karen L. Edwards.

Construction work has traditionally been a very labor-intensive job. Increasing speed and productivity meant adding additional workers. With the labor shortage, it’s not that simple anymore and the industry is being forced to look for alternative methods. One of those is robotics.

A new report released by market intelligence firm Tractica shows that a growing number of construction companies are incorporating robots to solve the challenges of increasing productivity, efficiency and profits without adding workers. The report forecasts that the growing interest in construction robotics will drive an increase in market revenue from $22.7 million in 2018 to $226 million by 2025.

It is forecast that more than 7,000 construction robots will be in use on sites to handle a variety of construction tasks and demolition work. The biggest use is estimated to be for robot assistants on construction sites, followed by infrastructure robots, structure robots and finishing robots.

Tractica Senior Analyst Glenn Sanders says, “At this early stage in the construction robotics industry, a few companies are offering products for sale or lease. The main categories that are currently available include robots for demolition, bricklaying, drilling, 3D printing, and rebar tying, plus a few exoskeletons and assistant robots for lifting loads.”
Sanders adds that midsize and major construction companies are beginning to adopt these robots to solve issues related to labor shortages, safety, speed, accuracy, and integration with building automation and building information modeling (BIM).

According to Construction Dive, in order to maintain high standards of craftsmanship, some companies are taking a ‘cobot’ approach where they use collaborative robots to work with crews instead of taking their place. The collaborative robots take on tasks that are simpler, redundant and repetitive, freeing up employees to focus on more skilled work.

Stay up-to-date with the latest roofing technology news when you sign up for the RT3 SmartBrief e-news. 

Asphalt an innovative technology? You’d be surprised.

By Karen L. Edwards.

Despite being around for years, the asphalt roofing industry is constantly innovating and developing new technologies. This conversation with Reed Hitchcock, EVP of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association talk about the innovation and where asphalt is headed.

ARMA is the North American trade association representing the producers of asphalt roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles, built-up-roofing (BUR) and modified bitumen roofing, as well as the industry’s suppliers of raw materials. According to Reed Hitchcock, ARMA EVP, the association represents about 80 percent of the producers of low-slope asphalt roofing materials and 99 percent of the asphalt shingles manufacturers. If anyone has their finger on the pulse of the asphalt roofing industry, it’s Reed. Reed’s been involved with ARMA since 2003 and became the executive vice president in 2007.

ARMA advocates and advances the interests of the asphalt roofing industry by leveraging the collective expertise of its members, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry. “What’s unique about ARMA is that unlike other trade associations, our Executive Committee is populated by the CEOs and owners of the companies that we represent,” he explained. “This allows us to be nimble and strategic as an organization.”

The labor challenges.

“Across the roofing and construction industries, labor is a huge challenge, both on and off the roof,” said Reed. “There are shortages of truck drivers to move materials, shortages of workers to install roofing systems, and shortages of workers in the manufacturing plants.”

One way of addressing this is immigration reform that meets workforce needs, which is an issue that ARMA and the NRCA recently supported in Washington, D.C. on Roofing Day. The day was spent encouraging legislators to support the Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act (H.R. 1740) and the Dream and Promise Act (H.R.6), which would tackle chronic workforce shortages and establish a market-driven visa system, enabling employers to grow their business and fill currently empty roles nationwide.

“We need smart immigration now because across the industry, employers are struggling to fill good paying jobs, which is a sign the workforce is not large enough,” Reed said. “Our industry as a whole does a poor job promoting the good living somebody can make and clearly explaining the career paths available. Employment can begin on the roof as a laborer and evolve into other roles like a foreman, supervisor or sales person. Those same opportunities for growth exist in our manufacturing plants, as well.”

As the existing workforce is aging and retiring, effort needs to go into bringing the younger generation into the industry. Reed says they are seeing this happen in their association, as well. “We see the same thing in a microcosmic level. The experts in our committees and task forces are aging and the younger members are already in their late 40s. A major initiative for ARMA is to engage the up-and-comers from our member companies in the association.”

The future of asphalt roofing.

“One of the things that we wrestle with all the time is the perception that asphalt is old technology, but the industry is constantly producing new, innovative technologies,” explained Reed. “One of the most recent examples is the advancement in granule technologies, such as granules that can reduce smog and that can reflect the sun’s rays.”

Reed said that he thinks we will start seeing more polymer modified asphalt used for shingles. It’s a proven, seasoned technology, and industry developments in the quality of the available asphalt may provide an opportunity for expansion. “Modified bitumen membranes have used polymer modified asphalt for years, but it’s not a technology that we’ve traditionally seen in mainstream shingles.”

“The other thing we see is the explosion of innovation on the floor of industry trade shows, where companies are presenting inventive and creative technologies in aesthetics, engineering, durability, and even installation,” Reed observed. “Asphalt really is a versatile material, from making a shingle with the aesthetic of slate, shake or tile, or creating an energy-saving membrane. We see this in our Excellence in Asphalt Roofing awards program too, where incredible projects from across North America demonstrate asphalt roofing’s aesthetic appeal, performance and durability for homes and buildings.”

Health and safety are a focus.

ARMA is heavily involved in health, safety and environmental issues, as well. “Since chemical use is involved, it’s important to ensure that our manufacturing plants are safe environments; our manufacturers always want to make sure workers are safe. The industry’s put a lot of time and effort into just ensuring work safety and quality,” explained Reed.

ARMA also provides comments and education on regulatory matters such as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) activities related to manufacturing. “We engage on EPA activities for the benefit of our members’ manufacturing facilities. It keeps our members informed and makes sure we respectfully educate the regulators; we want to make sure that they understand our industry.”

Regulators do not always understand how the products work and how people interact with them, so ARMA focuses on being the educator to ensure that the regulations that are enacted are fair and meet the goal to protect people and property.

Source: RoofersCoffeeShop.

10 best technology tools for a successful roofing contractor

By Anna Anderson, Art Unlimited.

Recently, I met with some of our tech-savvy roofing contractors from across the United States.
Using technology allows each of these businesses to have a strong, seamless integration with clients and team members. So what are the top tech tools these guys use to help further their success?

The contractors I sat down with include Ken Kelly (owner of Kelly Roofing in Naples, FL), Juan Reyes (owner of Pro Roofing & Siding in Marietta, GA), Brad Mosakowski (operations manager at Straight Line Construction & Roofing in Placerville, CA), and Taylor Yarbrough (owner of Quality Roofing in Austin, TX).

The common thread I found between these companies was they use technology as a tool to enable their staff to work smarter! They use technology to streamline business processes, empower staff with a strong backbone of technology at their fingertips, and also to engage with clients remotely. If you are looking at increasing technology usage in your roofing company, check out these options!

1. RoofSnap

RoofSnap is the top pick for Ken from Kelly Roofing when it comes to requesting detailed measurements for a roofing estimate. Reports can be automatically created to easily measure and estimate right on location. It works with Ken’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management system) and is optimized for use on mobile or big screens. RoofSnap allows for fast reports which in turn enables proposals to be created automatically. His sales reps simply review and customize proposals before sending them to clients.

2. Asana

Asana is a cloud-based project management solution which helps companies organize their tasks. It can also connect with countless applications through its robust API connection! Pro Roofing & Siding harnesses the Asana tool to help organize meetings and internal project management. Using the power of Asana, Juan is able to keep on top of internal business goals from anywhere!

3. Contractors Cloud

Contractors Cloud is a full CRM solution used by both Pro Roofing & Siding and Quality Roofing for their clients’ scope creation and project management. It enables team members to connect with client files, manage jobs and automate systems. Working with Contractor Cloud is a great solution for Roofing Contractors who are larger than 3 million in sales.

4. Skitch from Evernote

Skitch is a sweet tool which allows the team to highlight elements within photos that clients need to be aware of. Text and graphic elements are easily added to photos. In the past, Juan’s team at Pro Roofing & Siding would have to write out descriptions of problems. Now, by using Skitch, their clients immediately see what they are talking about through images! Tyler and the Quality Roofing team, like Juan’s team, use the Skitch platform when presenting clients with roof failures. The ease of use is astounding.

5. Dynamic BPM

Brad at Straight Line Construction & Roofing has worked countless hours refining their Business Process Management system with Dynamic BPM. They have custom workflows and automated systems propelling the team members through jobs much faster. Customers also receive the white glove pampering which owner, Jack Borba, knows is a vital reason why their company is growing by leaps and bounds.

6. OneDrive

Having a photo bucket system which integrates with the office, estimators, and project managers is critical. The Kelly Roofing team turns to OneDrive to store all of their job images, which are then connected to the clients’ profiles within the CRM.

7. GoldMine CRM

Every business needs a powerful CRM such as GoldMine CRM to manage hundreds of thousands of customer data. The entire StraightLine team uses the GoldMine platform within their day to day activities. All of the vital business data is in one place, enabling the team quick access to countless files.

8. SketchUp

SketchUp is a 3D modeling tool allows the Quality Roofing team to model a roofing job for clients and general contractors. It’s a must-have tool for the office staff!

9. Excel

Brad and the StraightLine team are not alone in using Excel. This is a common business tool referenced by multiple contractors when speaking about managing a thriving business. Excel is used to run countless jobs and business metrics.

10. Surface by Microsoft

Being able to connect to your files is critical so many teams turn to the Surface by Microsoft to power their business. The Surface is a lightweight, high powered computer that can be used on the job site or in the office. It’s a must-have tool for many of the Roofing Contractors our Art Unlimited team works with.

I hope you had fun reading about the available technology for roofing contractors which have ignited a portion of the success these 4 companies have earned.

If you have questions or are looking at using additional technology within your roofing business I’m sure you will find a new tool or two off of this list!

Source: Art Unlimited

3D Scans of Notre Dame captured in 2015 could be key to reconstruction

By Karen L. Edwards, RoofersCoffeeShop.

Construction technology could help architects, contractors and engineers answer questions and shorten the project timeline.

In 2015, the late Andrew Tallon, an art history professor at Vassar College in New York worked with colleagues to complete a 3D scan of Notre Dame Cathedral. The team used a Leica ScanStation C10 laser mounted on a tripod and spent five days mapping the building, recording more than one billion points of data. Tallon combined his scans with high-resolution panoramic photos to add color to the data.

John Russo, president and CEO of Architecural Reource Consultants and president of the U.S. Institute of Building Documentation told Engineering News-Record (ENR) that, “Having laser scans is critical in shortening the reconstruction time frame. If you don’t have that data, where do you go? You are going back to hand drawings that may not exist and those are going to be two-dimensional and not have as much information. As far as answering questions and shortcutting the timeline on doing the repair work, 3D scans are going to shave an incredible amount of time off.”

The 3D image of the cathedral contains all the dimensional information with very precise colors and measurements. Russo told ENR, “The scans are accurate enough to pick up the slight deviations in the structure, important from an engineering standpoint to understanding what the loads are doing through the structure.” According to Tallon, he once said that the scans were accurate to within five millimeters.

The Associated Press reported that French President Emmanuel Macron was calling for Notre Dame to be rebuilt within five years and in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Restoration experts have challenged that saying that it could take three times that long to complete.

While the 3D scan will prove invaluable to the reconstruction, it is still being debated if the restoration will be exactly as it was before the fire. BBC reported that French Prime Minister Edouard Phillipe called for “a new spire that is adapted to the techniques and challenges of our era.” An international design contest was launched for the design of a new spire.

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Source: RoofersCoffeeShop.