Flipping the switch saves The Planet about $140K annually

(Updated to clarify air-conditioning policy.)

The results of The Planet's "lights out" pilot are in: By adopting a workday-hours lights-on policy and shutting off the lights after hours, the hosting company is saving roughly $140,000 per year across its six data centers in Houston and Dallas. The reduction in annual energy consumption achieved through this policy was about 1.4 million kilowatt hours. Aside from lights, all heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems are scheduled to run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the corporate officers. The AC, of course, for the data center runs around the clock.

Engineers working swing or graveyard shifts in certain zones of the building can switch on lamps as necessary. The rest have been programmed to switch on and off as mandated by the company's schedule. The Planet also has rigged motion-sensor lighting to work in individual offices.