W
ill everything soon go back to normal? Or are we going to permanently change when it comes to working at home, designing our homes and thinking about the air quality at home? We always seem to want what we don't have, so if we're stuck in traffic or stuck in the office, we might wish we could work at home more. But if a pandemic keeps us there for 18 months with the kids interrupting our Zoom calls, we might start pining for the good old days in a cushy meeting room. As long as we are at home, we might ask: Is it healthy? Is it safe? Is it resilient to climate extremes? Reports on this year's wildfires in California and the record cold snap in Texas mentioned a few houses that still had power because their owners had added rooftop solar and batteries. The idea of thinking the grass looks greener on the other side of the river probably led to a common metaphor to describe change: a swinging pendulum. We move in one direction, then we want a change of pace and we swing back the other way. It's a good metaphor, but things probably don't exactly happen that way.
Spending More Time at Home
Technology experts from IBM and elsewhere point out that the pandemic forced us to thoroughly pilot test some "new" ways, such as conference call technology, working at home and online purchasing. If and when we are less compelled to use them, we are unlikely to return 100 percent to the old way. The 18-month COVID-19 imperative has changed some things irreversibly. Remote work experts say the pandemic accelerated an existing trend toward adopting more online meetings by at least five years and possibly 10 years. Online purchasing surged in a single year from about 13 percent to more than 35 percent and has now settled somewhere around 20 percent. It may not seem like it, but that's a significant increase in 18 months. According to people who study demographic trends, it will only grow as younger generations expand their importance in the marketplace. HVAC professionals say there is far greater interest in air filtration or purification at home and at school, more home renovations involving home offices, and more interest in renewables, batteries and water systems for off-grid living.
Pandemics, Other Fears and New Ways
I recently contributed content to a webinar by Triple Win Advisory in Oregon, which noted that demographics and COVID-19 are only one part of a longer list of reasons why people may wish to stay safely at home, work at home and make purchases from home. The presentation cited fears about extreme weather events from climate change, floods, wildfires and allergies; unusual animal events such as locusts and cicadas; terrorism, racism, bullying and mass shootings; new pandemics, toxins, air pollution and algae blooms in water; oil spills, industrial explosions, nuclear radiation fears and others. In addition to the fear of being outside, some may prefer a few of the new ways. For example, I would prefer to order my new car online rather than play the silly game that happens at old-world car dealerships. Depending on what I'm looking for at Home Depot, I might prefer to pre-order online and pick up quickly or even have something delivered. Even for those of us who look forward to venturing out again, research suggests that travel choices might also shift. In addition to switching to electric vehicles, many may move to different ownership models such as subscriptions or vehicle sharing. That could lead to reduced car usage and more e-commerce. Tesla will sell about 1 million vehicles in 2021, far more than anyone expected. The United States is one of the biggest growth markets for electric vehicles. Numerous subscription and car-sharing companies are springing up across North America. Most are pricey right now, but that will likely change. HVAC designers say customers are also more interested in smart homes, smart thermostats, energy monitoring, electronics, electrification and home car chargers. Research and consulting company McKinsey looked at 800 jobs in nine countries and concluded that hybrid models of remote work are likely to persist in the wake of the pandemic (https://mck.co/3AWFB5a). Potentially, more than 20 percent of the workforce could work remotely three to five days each week just as effectively as if they were working from an office. "If remote work took hold at that level, that would mean three to four times as many people working from home than before the pandemic," the November 2020 report notes.
THE FUTURE IS NOW
62
phc November 2021 www.phcppros.com
BY BF NAGY
Not surprisingly, the more time people spend at home, the more they call HVAC professionals to discuss indoor air quality.
Working, Living and Breathing at Home
A typical home office.
Previous Page