Leading property management company reduces energy output by shutting down office lights for one hour.
 
Dania Beach, Fla. (June 14, 2016) -- FirstService Residential, North America’s leading residential property manager, is gearing up to participate in Daylight Hour 2016, an annual global campaign to save energy by shutting off all electrical lighting in day-lit areas for one hour.  In 2015, the company was awarded the Jetsetter Winner for most participating offices. FirstService Residential is aiming for another strong showing from its offices across North America for this year’s event taking place on Friday, June 17 between Noon and 1 p.m.
 
The #DaylightHour initiative was launched in 2014 by the New York City nonprofit, Building Energy Exchange. Participating companies pledge to turn off their lights from Noon to 1 p.m. (respective to time zone) to reduce energy consumption, offset use of electrical lighting and raise awareness for available daylight in commercial office spaces.
 
“Residential and commercial buildings account for 40 percent of total U.S. energy consumption*, and it is our responsibility to not just encourage sustainability, but practice and contribute to these conservation efforts as well,” said Chuck Fallon, CEO of FirstService Residential about the company’s participation. “The beauty of the Daylight Hour campaign is in its simplicity; it proves how one small act for a short period of time can make a huge impact for the greater good, and we are proud to be a part of this movement.”
 
Fallon offered the example of the savings that could be achieved if every office in North America turned off the lights for just the one hour. According to the campaign’s energy calculator, a one-hour shut-down across North America’s reported 6.5 billion square feet of office space± could save more than $2.3 million dollars and 11.7 million kWh, enough to power more than 390,000 homes a day.**
 
While participation in the Daylight Hour campaign has the potential for huge impact, it is just one of FirstService Residential’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, and the emissions of the more than 7,500 properties it manages throughout North America.
 
In 2010, the company launched FS Energy, an energy management and advisory subsidiary to help the company’s portfolio of multifamily buildings increase efficiency while reducing energy consumption, costs and emissions. FS Energy is currently operating in New York, Florida and Illinois, where multifamily properties are prevalent.  To date, FS Energy has helped FirstService Residential clients save more than $25 million in energy costs while reducing the carbon footprint of its New York City portfolio by more than 15 percent.
 
For more information about Daylight Hour 2016, visit www.daylighthour.org. For more information on FirstService Residential and its services, visit www.fsresidential.com.
 
*SOURCE: *U.S. Energy Information Administration; **U.S. EIA estimates on average 911 kWh monthly consumption (30 kWh/daily) per household
 
±SOURCE: Colliers International North American Research & Forecast Report Q1 2015 Office Market Outlook
 

About FirstService Residential
FirstService Residential is North America's largest manager of residential communities and the preferred partner of HOAs, community associations and strata corporations in the U.S. and Canada. FirstService Residential's managed communities include low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives, single-family homes, master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities, and rental and commercial properties.
 
With an unmatched combination of deep industry experience, local market expertise and personalized attention, FirstService Residential delivers proven solutions and exceptional service that add value, enhance lifestyles and make a difference, every day, for every resident and community it manages.  FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation, a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit www.fsresidential.com.
Jun 13, 2016