Category: Expert Columns
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How to Decommission Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
As renewable energy generation continues to grow, the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in solar farms has become increasingly important for stabilizing the grid and enabling the integration of intermittent solar and wind power. The permitting process to build a BESS facility often requires a formal plan for site decommissioning and disposal, even…
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How Smart Construction Can Improve Worker Efficiency
In our rapidly evolving world, it’s hard to imagine life without artificial intelligence or robotics. From self-driving cars to automated home systems, the rise of intelligent technologies is quickly reshaping how we live and work. Yet, despite advancements in automation, one industry remains firmly rooted in traditional methods: construction. While we move through 2025, pen…
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Thrive Rather Than Survive in Construction
Many of my construction coaching clients are experiencing a tightening and reduction of new projects to bid on or build. Many projects have been delayed or put on hold due to financing, budgets, or market demand. The headlines say that housing has slowed, homes aren’t selling as lenders have tightened the borrowing requirements, consumers are…
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A Blueprint for Repackaging Power in Construction: Electrify the Whole Jobsite
The construction industry can work smarter while playing a leading role in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The transition to zero-emissions (ZE) construction machinery has been slow, hampered by high costs, technological challenges, and resistance to change. Especially regarding that last point, many operators would ask why their construction companies should invest…
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How Subcontractors can Avoid Financial Distress
A combination of macroeconomic factors and a desire to drive top-line revenue continues to lead many subcontractors to underbid projects, sometimes unintentionally, ultimately contributing to financial distress. As more subcontractors succumb to the pressures of the environment, we may see a bubble form. Savvy general contractors are already taking steps to protect themselves from the…
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Why Collaboration and Visualization are Important for Developers
When the developers of Hudson Yards needed to pre-sell $1.7 billion worth of luxury condos, they didn’t just order glossy renders. Instead, they invested months into an intensive collaboration with visualization specialists, architects, and sales teams. This approach might seem excessive until you consider the stakes: in today’s market, visualization can make or break a…
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Construction’s Favorite Scapegoat: Laziness | For Construction Pros
DISCLAIMER: I do know that there are individuals who exist and are lazy, but….America is not that. I recently saw an online asphalt-forum post that asked a simple and straightforward questions: “How many contractors were expecting to be shorthanded for the 2025 season?” The responses were anything but simple and straightforward. What is technically a…
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7 Data Sources That Cut Project Costs and Time
Every project, no matter how big or small, is a race against time. The longer it takes, the less profitable it is. And while shortcuts can save time, they can also lead to accidents. Striking the right balance between efficiency, productivity, profitability and ensuring worker safety is always the goal but recent data shows construction…
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The Untapped Potential: Why Standardized Street Sweeper Testing is a Win-Win for All
Street sweepers stand to gain significant recognition as a leading solution for stormwater pollutant removal, but realizing this potential hinges on robust, standardized testing. Currently, a gap exists in the data available to stormwater professionals, hindering their ability to fully appreciate and leverage the capabilities of modern sweepers. The benefits of rigorous testing are multifaceted.…
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The 3 Phases of Technology Adoption: Understand, Adjust and Integrate
We’re in a new era — not an entirely digital era where the type or size of iron doesn’t matter, but an era of adoption. Whether a contractor integrates machine control or optimizes their fleet by mining machine datasets, contractors are looking to gain an edge on efficiency by onboarding a total jobsite solution, including…