Daylight Hour is our annual social media campaign designed to raise awareness about the importance of using natural daylight in lieu of electric lighting. This year’s campaign, the sixth year of collaboratively celebrating and promoting the campaign, was relocated to home offices in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of Juneteeth and in solidarity with ongoing racial justice protests, we moved our campaign to the Monday after the Summer Solstice as opposed to its usual place on the Friday closest to the Solstice. Thus on June 22, 2020, Daylight Hour kicked off our first ever “At Home Edition”. 720 registrants, representing 26 U.S. states and 30 countries, turned off non-essential artificial lights for one hour at noon and soaked up the natural daylight. 

We learned that working from home many of us are already swathed in more daylight than we would be in commercial offices prompting discussion around the health benefits of utilizing natural daylight. Not only are great energy savings possible when we return to commercial office spaces, but we also see great increases in employee productivity can come as a result of increased comfort and well being thanks to daylight’s benefits.

We were ecstatic about the success of Daylight Hour this year and its ability to bring together a global community despite the difference in circumstances. We thank those who participated from home offices, to essential establishments joining us on site, to countries joining from around the world, and everything in between.

We were incredibly impressed with everyone’s creativity and enthusiasm across social media and are excited to see where this campaign takes us in years to come.

Congratulations again to our six campaign award winners and three honorable mentions!

First Sign Up Award: Harry Etra of HXE Partners
Most Scenic View Award: Michelle Jacobson of MLJacbson Design

Best Post with Pets Award: EnPowered

Most Creative Use of Daylight in Home Office Award: Perkins Eastman Boston

Best Video Award: Silvia Mazzarri from Renfro Design Group

Most Creative Human Centered Photo

Honorable Mentions

Tessa, daughter of @albanygirl518

Kristen DiStefano of @atelier_ten

HLB Lighting Design (@hlblighting)