In 2018, ELECTRI International commissioned a study that reported the low voltage market is expected to double in size over the next 5–7 years. The study also found most traditional electrical contractors are well-positioned but ill-equipped to scale their low voltage operations beyond a complementary role to traditional electrical work.

With the growth of new low voltage power-based technologies and digital solutions, the low voltage
market has evolved immensely over the past few years. Today, electricians are no longer individuals just installing cables to turn lights on. Their work is increasingly sophisticated and wide-ranging. The low voltage market offers important job and business opportunities that are local and long-term, and it delivers a wide range of services and installations for an electrified and digital world.

However, the growth of the low voltage market has not been met by a corresponding NECA contractor growth. The average electrical content of a construction project for a high-rise building has grown from 10% to over 20% due to advances in electrical technologies such as smart technologies and low voltage systems. At the same time, the number of IBEW electricians and technicians has not kept pace with the growth of the electrical content.