The Tower won’t be the only thing that looks a little darker than usual on Oct. 24.
The University of Texas at Austin Energy and Water Conservation (EWC) Program and the student chapter of Longhorn Lights Out is asking the campus community to turn off lights, computers and other equipment when leaving campus buildings for the weekend on Friday, Oct. 24.
Called Longhorn Lights Out, this voluntary initiative demonstrates how simple, individual actions can result in significant energy savings across campus. Since the beginning of Longhorn Lights Out in April 2013, the university has saved nearly 54,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity the equivalent of turning off 4,153 13W compact fluorescent bulbs and removing the greenhouse gas emissions of 53,460 pounds of carbon dioxide, according to emission calculations from the university power plant.
In support of Longhorn Lights Out, the Tower will not be lit from sunset on Oct. 24 to dawn on Oct. 25. (For safety reasons, the clock faces and aircraft warning lights on the Tower will be lit.) The university will be joining Bowling Green University, University of Toledo, University of Kansas and Penn State University in turning off lights and powering down monitors in buildings an initiative known as Campus Lights Out.
On Friday, volunteers from the student chapter and other organizations will assist with turning off lights and electronics. EWC is partnering with the student organization Texas Tower Public Relations in the Moody College of Communication to promote the event.
