DST ends tomorrow at 2AM.

Nashville and most of the United States have enjoyed an hour of extra daylight since this past spring. On November 5th, however, that will come to an end, as Daylight Savings Time (DST) officially ends for this year. The annual ritual of setting our clocks forward in the spring, and back again come fall, is something many of us take for granted but have you ever wondered how DST began?

The History of DST

Benjamin Franklin takes the credit for the idea of DST. Yes, this is the same Ben Franklin pictured on our $100 bill and who also invented the lightning rod and bifocal glasses among creating some of the most successful and popular inventions of the modern world.

His idea for coming up with the idea to reset clocks in the summer months was a way to conserve energy. By moving clocks forward, people could take advantage of the extra evening daylight rather than wasting energy on lighting. At the time, Franklin was serving as ambassador to Paris and wrote a letter to the Journal of Paris in 1784, rejoicing at his discovery that the sun provides light as soon as it rises.

The practice of DST was not put to use until more than a century later when Germany began using the idea in 1916 as a way to conserve fuel during WWI. The rest of Europe quickly followed suit with the practice and in 1918 the US adopted the concept. Although President Wilson wanted to keep DST after the war ended, its practice was not embraced by all. Farmers objected to the practice citing that they would lose an hour of light in the morning. Since the US was mostly rural during this era, the practice stagnated. It was not until the next war (WWII), that the practice of DST was re-established. Following the end of WWII, states and towns were given the choice of whether to observe DST — which led to chaos.

To curb the chaos, Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act in 1966. This meant protocol must be followed in which daylight saving time would begin on the first Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. Then, in 2007, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 went into effect, expanding the length of daylight saving time to the present timing.

Why DST is Observed Today

Less than 40% of countries throughout the world observe DST. Most of the United States and Canada observe DST on the same dates. But there are exceptions. Hawaii and Arizona are the two states that don’t observe daylight saving time, though Navajo Nation, in northeastern Arizona, does follow DST, according to NASA.

LED lights are energy efficient, long-lasting and more sustainable than other lighting genres.

The primary reason for the practice of DST has long been energy savings. Brighter evenings are said to save on lighting. However, as lighting has become super efficient in recent years, it has become a smaller element of energy consumption than it was just a few decades ago. The practice of moving an hour of sunlight from the early morning, when many would sleep through it, to the evening, when you could most likely do more with the light, and vice versa, opens up a doorway of possibilities for us to get things done. Whether it is work or school related, we have grown accustomed to having an extra hour of morning light illuminating our travel to work or school in the fall and winter months. On the opposite side of the coin, we also enjoy an extra hour of afternoon light in the spring and summer to partake in outdoor living activities.

With DST in mind, How much time will you spend this evening programming your outdoor lighting for daylight savings time? There will be multiple devices throughout your home and landscape that will require adjustment to correspond with the time and light change. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Nashville can make sure your outdoor lighting timer isn’t one of them.

Our timers use LCA technology that automatically adjusts to facilitate the change for daylight savings time and provides automation that you will enjoy every day. It simplifies your outdoor lighting by giving you effortless control of your home’s indoor and outdoor lighting and other powered features. Our smart timer can do more than simply turn on selected lights at dusk. It can also control your indoor and outdoor electric outlets.

David G. Todd, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Nashville.

We are the pros when it comes to automating your lighting needs for more convenient days and beautiful evenings. To learn more contact Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Nashville today. You can call us at (615) 373 – 0638, or email us at  olpnashville@outdoorlights.com.