Project Sustainability

Peggy Smedley and Diane Cook, professor, Washington State University, talk about the data that can be acquired by sensors in our home and the CASAS Smart Home project. She says her background is designing machine learning techniques, which are computer programs that learn patterns from data.

They also discuss:

• Three different areas of machine learning in the home.
• The difference between supervised learning and unsupervised learning.
• If smart home tech is readily available for consumers today or if it is still in the research phase.

casas.wsu.edu 

(3/15/23 - 48)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Diane Cook, Washington State University

Peggy Smedley and Martin Moore-Ede, director, Circadian Light Research Center, talk about the significance of circadian light. He says it is a critical topic and we are all focused on health—but in fact the light you see is as important to your health as any food you eat, water you drink, or air you breath.

They also discuss:

• How LED lights are a blessing in terms of energy conservation, but they have a huge health downside.
• How blue light disrupts our clocks.
• How to find the right lights for your health and your home.

thelightdoctor.com 

(3/8/23 - 47)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Martin Moore-Ede, Circadian Light Research Center, circadian light

Peggy Smedley and Martin Moore-Ede, director, Circadian Light Research Center, talk about the importance of circadian light. He says we have had a revolution in lighting. Lighting used to be pretty simple, but about 2013 a revolution took place when LEDs (light emitting diodes) came into the market.

They also discuss:

• The percentage of LEDs in 2013 compared to today.
• The advantages of LEDs and the downside that has been overlooked until recently.
• How to have a healthy home and find the right lights.

thelightdoctor.com 

(3/1/23 - 46)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Martin Moore-Ede, Circadian Light Research Center, circadian light

Peggy Smedley and Erik Glassen, senior brand manager, Kwikset, talk about the state of security and the state of the smart home. He says door hardware is the first thing people see when they come to your home, and it is the last thing they see and touch when they leave. Security is the No. 1 reason for being, but there is a huge style component to door hardware.

They also discuss:

• The look, feel, and experience of the lock in the home.
• The most popular place to put keyless locks—in the past and today.
• Trends in the smart home space such as the need to simplify.

kwikset.com 

(2/22/23 - 45)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Erik Glassen, Kwikset

Peggy Smedley and Erik Glassen, senior brand manager, Kwikset, talk all about home security. He says one of the big trends in home security is you need to trust the brand you are using—and then you can look for a product that works best for your home.

They also discuss:

• Three basic buckets for door locks that can be customized for a homeowner’s needs.
• Some big trends—like aging in place and rental properties—that are driving new tech in home security.
• Different products—cameras, lights, thermostats, etc.—and their growth trajectory.

kwikset.com 

(2/15/23 - 44)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Erik Glassen, Kwikset

Peggy Smedley and Susan Landau, Bridge professor in cybersecurity and policy, Tufts University, discuss connecting a lot of things in our home and what we need to be aware of. She says you first need to think about why you are doing this, what is the benefit you are getting, and who has access to the information.

They also discuss:

• When to use a VPN.
• Whose responsibility home security is.
• What damage can happen with a cyberattack in our home.

tufts.edu 

(2/8/23 - 43)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Susan Landau, Tufts University

Peggy Smedley and Susan Landau, Bridge professor in cybersecurity and policy, Tufts University, talk about cybersecurity in our homes and in our cities. She says security and privacy are both getting worse and getting better.

They also discuss:

• How much information we are giving away and how it is hard to be private on our devices.
• An example of how it is hard to protect your privacy.
• The importance of recognizing your risks.

tufts.edu 

(2/1/23 - 42)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Susan Landau, Tufts University

Peggy Smedley and Lynda Powers, senior strategy and collaboration manager, Duke Energy for the Carolinas, talk about why electric companies encourage energy efficiency. She explains why utility companies would even want customers to be more energy efficient, saying when they are individually efficient, it makes the entire utility system efficient.

They also discuss:

• How homeowners can better track and manage energy with smart meters.
• The benefits of this technology for homeowners including non-energy benefits.
• The similarities and differences between energy efficiency and resiliency.

duke-energy.com/home 

(1/25/23 - 41)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Lynda Powers, Duke Energy

Peggy Smedley and Eddie Cogdill, existing industry manager, South Carolina Dept. of Commerce, talk all about commerce’s role in the EV (electric vehicle) space. He says the mission is to create economic opportunities to increase choices for all South Carolinians.

They also discuss:

• The South Carolina Dept. of Commerce’s main objectives in the EV space.
• How this will impact economic development and help grow existing businesses and new businesses in South Carolina.
• How circularity is coming into play here in South Carolina to make new batteries, as one example.

sccommerce.com 

(1/18/23 - 40)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Eddie Cogdill, South Carolina Dept. of Commerce

Peggy Smedley and Rob Bedenbaugh, director of engineering support, South Carolina Dept. of Transportation, talk about the South Carolina NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) plan and EV (electric vehicle) infrastructure. He says the NEVI formula program is a federal source of money that is comprised of $5 billion nationally that is going to be doled out to the various state DOTs (departments of transportation) around the country to support placement of EV charging on the national network.

They also discuss:

• The hurdles of placing these in rural areas such as providing electricity in a fair and equitable manner.
• How these alternatives can reach disadvantaged communities.
• The importance of public and private partnerships.

scdot.org/nevi 

(1/11/23 - 39)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Rob Bedenbaugh

Peggy Smedley and Don Bent, chief operating officer, Oshkosh Defense, talk about how the company has built trucks for more than 100 years. He says while vehicles are the business, it is so much more than that and it has a mission to protect and serve communities around the world.

They also discuss:

• A new facility in South Carolina to produce the next-gen delivery vehicle for the U.S. postal service.
• The amount of jobs that will be created from a new facility and the rise of EV manufacturing in South Carolina.
• How to train workers on new technology in vehicles.

oshkoshdefense.com 

(1/4/23 - 38)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Don Bent, chief operating officer, Oshkosh Defense

Peggy Smedley and Adam James, director of transportation, Greenville County Schools, talk about the schools and an electric school bus received on a grant in South Carolina. He tells the story of how a student wrote an essay and the school won an electric school bus.

They also discuss:

• How long they have been using the bus and an initial issue that was quickly overcome.
• How the infrastructure requires collaboration with multiple partners.
• How it is looking to expand the use of the bus next year.

greenville.k12.sc.us 

(12/14/22 - 37)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Adam James, Greenville County Schools

Peggy Smedley and Mike Bullman, director of transportation, South Carolina Dept. of Education, talk about electric school buses in South Carolina. He says this might be a good time to go back and talk about infrastructure and the plan is to put charging infrastructure at each location the buses are housed at.

They also discuss:

• Range anxiety and other hurdles that need to be overcome.
• How many of the routes will handle an EV right now.
• How to train drivers, technicians, and first responders on electric buses.

ed.sc.gov 

wri.org

(12/7/22 - 36)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Mike Bullman, South Carolina Dept. of Education

Peggy Smedley and Mike Bullman, director of transportation, South Carolina Dept. of Education, talk about how South Carolina got started in the EV (electric vehicle) bus space. He says there were four school districts that were awarded buses, and those were the first brought into the fleet.

They also discuss:

• What will be delivered in the next 60 days, bringing this to a larger scale.
• What makes the school buses unique and beneficial for schools.
• How one young student was an advocate for EV school buses.

ed.sc.gov 

(11/30/22 - 35)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Mike Bullman, South Carolina Dept. of Education

Peggy Smedley and Lisa Lillelund, director of channel sales, Proterra, talk about electric school buses in South Carolina. She says they are very excited about the Dept. of Education going electric and bringing in zero-emission school buses to South Carolina.

They also discuss:

• How Proterra got involved in school buses.
• Why safety and performance are key in electric school buses.
• How the program is rolling out in South Carolina and the benefits it offers.

proterra.com 

(11/23/22 - 34)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Lisa Lillelund, Proterra, electric

Peggy Smedley and Stacey Washington, senior program manager, and Sara Bazemore, director, South Carolina Energy Office, talk about EVs (electric vehicles) and energy management in South Carolina. They additionally talk about the electric vehicle stakeholder initiative report that was just released, which includes automakers, fleet managers, utilities, the public at large, and anybody that might have a stake or interest.

They also discuss:

• If the state of South Carolina is infrastructure ready for EVs.
• The three main parts under the infrastructure act.
• Education, outreach, and workforce development.

energy.sc.gov 

(11/16/22 - 33)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Stacey Washington, Sara Bazemore

Peggy Smedley and Stan Cross, electric transportation policy director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, talk about encouraging consumers who have two vehicles in their family fleet to replace one of them with an electric vehicle. They discuss some of the barriers to getting that done.

They also discuss:

• What the federal government has done in the Inflation Reduction Act and where to go to learn more about tax credits.
• If dealerships are all equipped to service electric vehicles.
• How many consumers are buying used cars—and when the used EV market will pick up.

cleanenergy.org 

(11/9/22 - 32)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Stan Cross, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, EVs, electric vehicles

Peggy Smedley and Stan Cross, electric transportation policy director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, talk about EVs (electric vehicles) and the big picture of where the state of South Carolina is at in terms of EV adoption. He says the alliance tracks indicators to understand whether a state is leading or lagging in this transition to electric transportation.

They also discuss:

• How much has sales of EVs increased in South Carolina in one year.
• The need for the charging infrastructure and how funding will impact it.
• Where the state of South Carolina is headed with electric vehicles.

cleanenergy.org 

(11/2/22 - 31)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, electric vehicles, Stan Cross, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Peggy Smedley and Buz Kloot, research associate professor, University of South Carolina, talk about where to go next with our gardens. He says if you are starting with a garden, he would advise not to go to a store to buy a big machine to dig a ditch. He says to start small and start with the tools you have.

They also discuss:

• To start with a regenerative agriculture practice by thinking about what you want to grow.
• How to create a plan for that bed for each season.
• How to make the switch to a plant-based diet.

sc.edu 

(10/26/22 - 30)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Buz Kloot, University of South Carolina

Peggy Smedley and Buz Kloot, research associate professor, University of South Carolina, talk about his experience of creating a garden in his own yard, that has happened in the last 10-15 years. They talk about his evolution—and how he has changed his practices.

They also discuss:

• Why it is important to share crops with the animals in your yard.
• What makes unhealthy crops unhealthy—and how to avoid it.
• The importance of learning from our mistakes and our successes and the role of the next generation.

sc.edu 

(10/19/22 - 29)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Buz Kloot, University of South Carolina