Daylight Saving Time: Why it’s important to your business?
It’s happening this weekend: The first Sunday in November and it was initially implemented to save energy, particularly during the World Wars and the energy crisis in the 1970s.
By shifting one hour of daylight from morning to evening, it reduces the need to use artificial lighting and heating in the evenings.
Contrary to popular belief, DST was not created to benefit farmers. In fact, many farmers opposed the change because it affected their schedules, especially those tied to the sun and not the clock.
Daylight saving time has not been locked in the United States. There is a proposed federal law to make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the twice-per-year clock shift, called the Sunshine Protection Act, but it has been stuck in committee since March 1, 2023
Another fun fact: the end of DST was pushed from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November, partly due to lobbying by the candy industry. This change meant that Halloween (October 31) would be celebrated with an extra hour of daylight, potentially leading to more candy sales.
So why should your business care about DST?
DST Affects People
Daylight saving time has been linked to several negative health effects, including increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, more car crashes, more workplace injuries, and more depressive episodes. These sudden changes in lighting affect people: employees and customers.
Energy Efficiency
A study in Indiana showed DST led to a 1% decrease in residential electricity demand and a 2-4% decrease in motor fuel consumption. What would a 1-3% decrease in your electricity equate to?
We can help your businesses optimize for Daylight Savings EVERY DAY with smart lighting
Have you heard of daylight harvesting? Daylight harvesting is a lighting control strategy that uses sensors to adjust the brightness of artificial lights based on the amount of natural light available. Save energy costs, improve people’s modes and smartly adjust automatically for Daylight Savings with today’s smart lighting technology.
Safety: For those of you that operate during early morning or late evening hours, ensuring adequate lighting is crucial for the safety of employees and customers. We can recommend optimal lighting setups for these hours, considering the changes DST brings.
Aesthetic Appeal: We can help you use lighting to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your spaces, taking advantage of the different daylight hues that DST can bring at various times of the day.
Regulatory Compliance: Some regions have lighting standards and regulations that businesses must adhere to. We can ensure that your lighting setup is compliant, especially considering the changes in operating hours that might come with DST.
Evaluate parking areas: We can guide you through options that will address safety, energy usage, and light pollution concerns with your parking areas, especially if your a retail business like an auto dealership where your parking lot is critical to your business.
Don’t Over-light: Believe it or not, many businesses over-light their facilities spending more on energy than they need to. We can help choose cost-efficient technology and ensure space is not over-lit.
Lighting Health: We can provide a detailed report of the health of your lighting, including burned out lamps, broken bulbs, and we’ll check and ensure your timers are working properly.
Let us help you improve your energy costs, employee and customer mental health and increase your sales with smart lightning for Daylight Saving Time and beyond.
