As Daylight Hour 2026 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to spotlight some of the incredible work being done by this year’s lead sponsor, Pearl Street Systems. As a trusted systems integrator and professional services provider specializing in large-scale LED lighting and control system upgrades for commercial and industrial facilities, they’ve been furthering energy efficiency and enhancing lit environments since their founding in 2011.
Pearl Street’s commitment to innovative, energy-conscious design is well exemplified by one of their latest projects: implementing lighting and controls upgrades in New York City public schools to improve energy efficiency, support compliance with the NYC Energy Conservation Code, and satisfy Local Law 88 lighting control requirements. In true Daylight Hour fashion, Pearl Street took a daylight harvesting approach, detailed here:
The Challenge
Many classrooms throughout the school portfolio relied on aging fluorescent lighting systems that operated at full output regardless of available natural daylight. Fixtures located along window walls consumed the same amount of energy on bright sunny days as they did during overcast conditions or after sunset. This approach resulted in unnecessary energy consumption and did not align with current code requirements for daylight-responsive lighting controls in daylit spaces.
The Solution: Daylight Harvesting
Pearl Street Systems designed and implemented a daylight harvesting strategy throughout classrooms with significant window exposure. The project included LED lighting retrofits utilizing integrated technology as well as fixture-mounted controls. This approach enabled Pearl Street Systems to implement daylight harvesting and occupancy-based lighting control without requiring additional control wiring outside of the fixture.
By integrating the controls directly within the fixture assembly, the solution streamlined installation, reduced labor costs, and minimized disruption to classroom operations. The fixture-mounted sensors continuously monitor occupancy and available daylight, automatically adjusting light output to maintain appropriate illumination levels while reducing energy consumption. This design provided a cost-effective method of achieving NYC Energy Conservation Code and Local Law 88 compliance while maximizing the energy-saving benefits of daylight harvesting in classroom environments.
Why It Matters
Daylight harvesting represents one of the most effective control strategies available for educational facilities. By automatically reducing lighting output when sufficient daylight is available, schools can significantly lower energy consumption without impacting classroom functionality or occupant comfort. The project demonstrates how properly designed lighting controls can transform a standard LED retrofit into a comprehensive energy conservation measure that supports sustainability goals, code compliance, and long-term operating cost reductions.
Pearl Street’s daylight harvesting approach shows exactly why the strategic use of daylight matters so much in the push for a more energy-efficient built environment. It’s a simple idea with real impact: buildings that respond to the light already available around them use less energy, without asking occupants to change a thing.
This is exactly why we run Daylight Hour every year. Projects like this one remind us that energy efficiency doesn’t have to mean sacrifice; it can mean smarter design. We’re grateful to partners like Pearl Street Systems for bringing that idea to life, and we hope stories like this one inspire more organizations and individuals to rethink how their own spaces use energy.
Thank you to Pearl Street Systems and all of this year’s sponsors and participants for helping make Daylight Hour 2026 a success. We look forward to continuing this work together in the years ahead!
