HOUSTON - Office and commercial buildings, shopping malls, schools and public buildings throughout Houston will be taking part in Lights Out Houston Thursday.
As part of this energy conservation effort, the Greater Houston Partnership announced at a press conference that more than 110 million square feet of real estate will be turning their lights off for the entire Good Friday weekend.
In its fourth year, Lights Out Houston has set a national standard that has been copied by major cities globally. Lights Out Houston wants Houston to not only be the Energy Capital of the World, but also the Energy Conservation Capital.
"Houston has always been at the forefront of cutting edge ideas and this initiative is no different," said Jeff Moseley, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. "We have set a standard that other cities around the globe are following."
Lights Out Houston hopes to encourage property owners and managers to permanently adopt the following varied energy efficiency measures and operating procedures:
Adjusting hours of janitorial staff
Training janitorial staff to turn off lights as work is completed
Resetting lighting control systems
Reviewing lighting schedules
Asking vendors and tenants to turn off lights when they are not in the office
Reducing hours on interior and exterior lights systems
Turn off computers at night when not in use
Turn off unnecessary and wasteful air conditioning
Lights Out Houston was started by the Greater Houston Partnership’s Green Building Committee in conjunction with the City of Houston, Harris County, Central Houston Inc. and CenterPoint Energy to establish a sustained reduction in the use of non-essential electricity in commercial buildings.
"The initiative is intended to develop operating procedures by property owners and tenants that change today’s lighting habits, including working with janitorial service companies and building security to implement procedures to turn off lights when personnel is not present," said Frank Staats, chairman of GHP’s Green Building Committee. "Lights Out Houston wants Houston to go Dark Smart!"
In downtown Houston alone, it is estimated that by eliminating just 50 percent of the lights routinely left on overnight and on the weekends, our electricity grid could power more than 600 homes for an entire year at a savings of $1 million annually.
