The talk news radio station that I listen recently did a segment on Daylight Hour (#DaylightHour) and although I remember it from prior years, I immediately went to the internet to do some research. I was surprised to see how little information was available on search engines. In fact, there was a plethora of information on Daylight calculators, sunrise and sunset times and duration of daylight but only 2 or 3 links to the Daylight Hour initiative.
Launched in 2014, #DaylightHour is an annual social media campaign organized by the Building Energy Exchange to raise awareness about using natural daylight in lieu of electric lighting in offices. Every Friday, right before the summer solstice, participating offices turn off their lights in day-lit spaces for one hour. This year #DaylightHour will occur between 12-1PM on Friday, June 21, 2019.
This is a critical issue because the times when daylight is most available (work day afternoons) coincides with peak demand — the time when business districts are demanding the most energy from the grid. This peak energy is the most expensive energy, and typically the dirtiest and most harmful to our global climate because the oldest, least efficient plants are brought online to meet this need.
The online Energy Management System collects and reports energy data while providing a visual dashboard for users to track current and past consumption. You can register and get more information {HERE}.
