This blog will explore recent global building trends, their current impact on the Caribbean Region, and what these trends mean for the future.

Rising Material Costs

There’s no denying it; the cost of materials is rising in the Caribbean. Last year, lumber increased by 60% in Jamaica, and steel jumped up 20% in three weeks. Undoubtedly, spending money to make money is nothing new. However, when upfront costs are too much, you can’t even get off the ground to get a return on your investment. At the same time, however, there are ways to contend with this issue. It’s simply a matter of investigating creative ways to maximize your resources (e.g.,  joining a cost-efficient equipment rental network to reduce upfront costs).

Green Building

Sustainability has recently taken precedence in the Caribbean construction scene due to climate change and related factors. Thus, Green Architecture or Green Building has become a growing trend in many countries across the region. Environmentally conscious Green Building approaches use fewer resources and provide healthy spaces for occupants. It’s also believed that green buildings drive sales, productivity, overall wellbeing, and happiness of organizations using them.

Smart Cities 

Another one of the construction trends we’ll discuss is Smart Cities.

Here’s an example:

The Punta Cana-Macao Energy Consortium (CEPM) recently expanded its power generation capacity to supply 98% of the required energy for large regional hotel chains. The investment was worth $140 million US and has impacted significant change. In just two years, the CEPM has experienced an 85-megawatt expansion of its generation capacity. It’s done so using a natural gas regasification station. A static reactive power compensator was also installed, raising the electrical service quality with its 138-kilowatt line.

Equipment Rental Guides

Materials might be rising in cost, but Green Building and Smart Cities show promise for the Caribbean construction industry. If you want to capitalize on these trends, you need to get to work fast. But that could be a problem if you don’t have green-friendly, technologically advanced equipment at your disposal. Fortunately, you can explore the ERN marketplace and examine other equipment rental guides. This way, you can work ASAP to capitalize on the opportunities offered by Smart Cities and Green Building. Furthermore, by learning how to rent equipment in a financially efficient and business-friendly manner, you’ll maximize your returns on your investment.

Explore Equipment Topics

Learn more about equipment-related topics to stay on top of trends and find the ideal piece of equipment for your job. On the above note, ERN writes a frequent blog about construction trends, giving you a leg up on the competition and keeping your finger on the pulse.

Efficient Technology

If there’s one thing made clear by Smart Cities, Green Building, and the steady rise of material costs, it’s the need for efficient technology. You need equipment and heavy machinery that’s fuel-efficient and performance-driven. This way, you’ll get jobs done fast without sacrificing quality. Nor will you waste fuel or damage the environment. Find these efficient technologies in the equipment available on ERN’s marketplace.