By Nicole Blaisdell
As we welcome summer 2024, CUNY BPL is proud to support and participate in #DaylightHour.
Hosted by Building Energy Exchange (Be-Ex) Daylight Hour aims to raise awareness about energy efficiency and the benefits of using natural daylight in the workplace. This annual campaign encourages office spaces to turn off their lights for one hour between 12 noon and 1 pm local time on a designated day, typically on or near the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. This year, on June 20th, 2024, organizations, and institutions can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and reduce their energy consumption by participating.
People all over the world can showcase their involvement by posting a photo or video to Instagram or X (formerly known as Twitter) with #DaylightHour in the caption. You can also tune in @daylight_hour on Instagram or X between 12:30 noon and 1 pm to find out how much energy was saved during Daylight Hour’s global campaign. In 2023, Daylight Hour participants saved 217,655kWh of energy during the event across 702 offices from 32 countries.
There are multiple reasons to partake in Daylight Hour. According to the most recent CBECS data from 2018, lighting typically accounts for about 17% of electricity consumption in U.S. Commercial Buildings. By joining in on Daylight Hour, participating offices can experience first-hand how the use of natural lighting can significantly reduce their energy use, carbon footprint, and operational costs. Daylight Hour can even offer health benefits from exposure to natural light such as reduced eye strain and less drowsiness, which could improve the well-being, mood, and productivity of employees.
Further, participating in Daylight Hour’s social media campaign can foster community and emphasize collective action in sustainability efforts. More individuals taking part in Daylight Hour can bring awareness to potential savings in energy usage and utility costs that commercial buildings can achieve. This can further encourage others to partake in Daylight Hour and continue to spread the environmental benefits of reducing their energy consumption.
Reducing energy consumption in cities is more crucial than ever before. Optimizing the use of natural daylight in offices is just one way to contribute to a greener and more sustainable future. Commercial buildings can also achieve savings by ensuring their existing lighting fixtures are energy-efficient. Buildings can upgrade their current lighting fixtures to LEDs, which consume significantly less energy and have a longer lifespan than traditional incandescent bulbs. Additionally, installing lighting controls like timers and motion sensors in low-traffic areas, such as stairwells, can further reduce energy consumption by ensuring that lights are only being used when needed.
Overall, joining in on initiatives like Daylight Hour is one powerful step towards reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in our cities. Every step counts in achieving a more sustainable future, and turning off your lights for just one hour can demonstrate the potential of natural light in reducing energy usage. For more insights into potential energy savings, you can use the Daylight Hour Calculator to estimate how much energy and money your workplace saved by skipping out on electrical lighting for one hour. We encourage you to join us at CUNY BPL in supporting the #DaylightHour campaign on June 20th from 12 noon to 1 pm. We look forward to seeing everyone sharing their experience on social media, and helping #DaylightHour reach their goal of saving 40 Empire State Buildings worth of energy in one hour!