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On the Rhoades Again
Published April 2022
As we are slowly emerging from the pandemic and staying at home for work and play, employees are returning to companies, students to schools and businesses attending trade shows and conferences. Greg Rhoades, Leviton’s Director of Marketing for Smart and New Technology Products, is actively involved in reviewing new technologies and bringing ideas for product development, and is now back on the road again.
Two of the most influential trade shows for builders, electrical distributors, contractors and consumers are the International Builders’ Show (IBS) and Consumer Electronics Show (CES). In 2022 Rhoades attended both – one in person and one virtually – and came back with an eye on future advancements, mainly in residential technologies.
International Builders’ Show
IBS, formerly called the NAHB show, represents the National Association of Home Builders, is the largest annual light construction trade show in the world. This year the conference was live at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, Feb. 8-10, and it co-located with the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s (NKBA) Kitchen & Bath Industry Show® (KBIS) for Design & Construction Week® (DCW). There were over 1,000 exhibitors for the attending 70,000 industry professionals. In addition to viewing new products, there were over 120 educational sessions that presented new strategies and trend insights. |
“It was overwhelming as there was so much to look at and learn about,” states Rhoades. Rhoades was impressed that the majority of the new product focus was on “smart technology” going into almost everything imaginable. The theme for the new products was to make them the most intelligent, easiest to install and the race for the lowest cost.
The focus for new residential products included sustainable products such as huge trends in the saving energy or alternative ways to provide energy to reduce climate change. This included developments in solar panels and batteries. This created a lot of interest as consumers are constantly looking at ways to save energy with the overarching theme, “I never want to lose power.” There are now cars and trucks being designed to store energy for homes with electric panels and back up batteries. “There was even a roofing manufacturer that has developed solar panels that are actually roof tiles and can even be nailed,” notes Rhoades. |
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More advancements in the electrification of homes included appliances that will eventually be all-electric, eliminating gas usage. In fact, both New York City and California are not allowing new homes to have gas stoves. The IBS Conference provided a lot of consciousness towards these new regulations and how to prepare for the future.
For Leviton, there is a lot of focus on our Load Center to help reduce energy use both for residential and commercial use. The Leviton Load Center allows consumers to view real-time energy consumption by providing insight into all the power being used by all appliances (which are attached to Leviton’s Smart Circuit Breakers) and detect if critical loads need to be addressed.
Consumer Electronics Show
CES® is touted as the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. This is where the world's biggest brands do business and meet new partners, and the sharpest innovators hit the stage. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, CES features every aspect of the tech sector. Last year the show was virtual only. This year it was a hybrid – in person and virtual. Greg Rhoades attended the virtual event to see some of the most technological advancements. |
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“The biggest takeaway are smart devices and robotics,” states Rhodes. “I saw more devices that were multi-functioning so that the consumer doesn’t need to have multiple devices on the walls. An example was a motion dimmer embedded with sensors that communicates with Amazon’s Alexa,” he notes. The goal is to embed more automation control into these devices. “People have become accustomed to voice assistants and I think now are searching for other physical assistance products to remove or ease tasks from their daily lives. This includes employing sensors and artificial intelligence to make it work and make it friendly and beneficial to consumers,” he adds.
In addition, there was a lot of advancements in robotics. First it was the Roomba® which is a robot that vacuums the house. Programming of this is now done through an app. These have taken off in the consumer world and now there are robots for outside the house, such as a self-guided lawn mower. “The basic operating principle behind this lawn mower is that you have to first guide it to set it and then it will remember the routine,” explains Rhoades. “It’s just a matter of time before these will be accessed from an app,” he adds. Other products being demonstrated were robot butlers and even self-driving cars. |
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Currently, Leviton has two LIVE Showrooms, one in Chicago and one in New Orleans that bring to life Leviton’s latest innovative solutions for residential homes, commercial buildings and industrial facilities. These can also be accessed virtually. Leviton is also partnering with many of the residential technology solution providers who exhibit at both IBS and CES to create a smart city near Orlando. Once completed, this city will include the latest smart products, including an autonomous bus transport service, as well as the trucks that store energy for the home.
Trying to keep up with the new technologies and solutions can make one’s head spin. There are certainly growing pains with technology. But Leviton is bringing technology to the forefront while still making it human. In doing so, Leviton continues to provide information and training to our distributors and contractors to provide great opportunities to all professional electrical channels.
Stay tuned for the next time we’re On the Rhoades Again! |
Leviton Mfg.
Company Inc.
201 North Service Rd.
Melville, NY 11747
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