Construction + Economy

  The 2025 NYC Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC) tightens lighting efficiency and control requirements, aligns more closely with the latest NY state energy code, and retains or strengthens prior NYC‑specific lighting provisions. NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) is expected to begin enforcing the new code on March 30, 2026 when updated compliance software is fully available. Filings [...]

  The Q4 Pulse of Lighting reports that 2025 was a disappointing, essentially flat year for the lighting industry, with tariffs hurting project activity and masking weak unit volumes behind modest price-driven revenue stability. The quarterly Pulse of Lighting reports are produced by Channel Marketing Group (CMG). For Q4 2025, the Pulse of Lighting surveyed [...]

  Total U.S. construction starts stumbled in November 2025, but both Dodge data and industry forecasts still point to modest overall growth in 2026, with a market increasingly dominated by data centers and large public and institutional projects. Conditions will remain highly uneven by sector and region, creating a “K-shaped” construction economy where some niches [...]

  Electric lighting equipment Producer Price Index (PPI) trends show a steady, inflation-linked trajectory with ongoing cost increases due to tariffs, other input costs, and supply chain shifts. The PPI for lighting has increased almost 30% since the pandemic, and continues to rise quickly. This corresponds to an annual industry inflation rate of nearly 6% [...]

  Gen Z renters are reshaping multifamily marketing and operations around digital-first, authentic, and experience-driven approaches. Gen Z is tech-native, expectations are high for online transactions, and amenities must support social and connected living. Their priorities include online tours and applications, transparent pricing, targeted digital communications, and a lifestyle narrative over mere apartment features. Gen [...]

By Dan Hollenkamp, COO at Toggled Dan Hollenkamp, COO of Toggled, shared the following seven trends that he believes will redefine buildings and energy management in 2026: 1) Smart Buildings Become True Energy Orchestrators: By 2026, smart buildings will function more like managed micro-grids as operators face rising energy demand, electrification pressures, and aging infrastructure. Even [...]

  Realtor.com’s new 2025 Home Trends Report found that efficiency, sustainability and nature-inspired design are on the rise, while more opulent or space-heavy features are losing ground—highlighting a shift in how Americans define comfort and value. Sustainability and Efficiency There is a pronounced shift toward sustainable, eco-friendly home design in 2025, driven largely by increasing awareness [...]

  The September 2025 Dodge Construction Network data show a continued rebound in total construction starts, with a 3.1% month-over-month increase to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of about $1.26 trillion. The upturn is driven primarily by a sharp rise in nonresidential starts, which climbed 11.9% for the month, while residential starts rose 3.6%. [...]

  Apartment conversion projects surged across the U.S. in 2024, characterized by both the volume and pace of adaptive reuse—where underperforming properties are redeveloped into multifamily residential units. According to a new RentCafe report, nearly 25,000 apartments were completed through adaptive reuse in 2024, representing a 50% increase compared to 2023 and double 2022’s output. [...]