14 Cornell offices participate in inaugural Daylight Hour Day

Campus Sustainability Office, Student Intern August 9, 2019
Building & Energy
Climate Leadership
Staff & Faculty
Daylight hour poster
Many Cornell offices and units participate in activities to help reduce energy, like the Daylight Hour event.

This year, Cornell University was once again a proud participant in Daylight Hour. The Daylight Hour Campaign calls people all over the world to action. The task is simple: every year on the summer solstice, turn off your lights and embrace the sunlight! Whether in your office or your home, everyone is encouraged to join.

Nearly 900 offices from across the globe participated this year, covering 147.7 million square feet and saving 267.4 Mwh of energy.  This is equivalent to the energy required to power 22 homes for an entire year.

Involvement in the campaign continues to grow each year. In 2019, Cornell saw participation from 14 individual departments, including:

  • Cornell University, Audit Office – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Biological & Environmental Engineering – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Botanic Gardens, Plant Production Facility – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Classics Dept. – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Computing & Information Science – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Contracts & Capital Projects – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Cornell Botanic Gardens – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, CZ Controls – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Department of City & Regional Planning – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Environment & Sustainability Program – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Facilities & Campus Services – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Human Development – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Office of University Investments – Ithaca, NY

  • Cornell University, Office of the VP & Chief Human Resources Officer – Ithaca, NY

While the campaign itself may be short, its impact is significant. The energy saved during Daylight Hour 2019 by Facilities and Campus Services, housed in Humphrey’s Service Building, is depicted below. 

Comparison of electricity usage in Humphrey's Service Building between June 20th and June 21st.

While the summer solstice may be over, reducing your energy consumption is always in season! Learn how to with these simple tricks, or continue to practice Daylight Hour every week by turning off the lights when daylight is available, or setting a reminder for you and your team to participate every Friday.  

Learn more about key Sustainability Events and Engagement Programs

Story written by Karlye Heavey, Campus Sustainability Office Communications Intern (Summer 2019)