Saving energy is core to Nest’s mission of creating a home that takes care of the people inside it - and the world around it. Because of this, Nest is committed to helping end energy poverty - the uneven distribution of energy efficiency; with a five-year commitment to raising awareness and providing relief.

For the winter 2018 campaign, Nest wanted to shed light on a specific energy poverty related issue that affects many families in cold areas - the setting of the sun in wintertime and subsequent loss of a primary heating and light source. The cold and loss of light that follow are more than a matter of discomfort, they have a compounding effect that can lead to illness, missed school and work, and more.

We needed to help people understand the effects of energy poverty in wintertime. We also wanted them to join with us to do something about it. So we needed to be clever. Ultimately, we chose to zero in on the sun and use it’s rays to communicate our story in an interesting way that was fully analog.

Using a sundial as reference, we conceived of a kinetic or moving sculpture that would reveal different messages based on the sun’s precise position in the sky. The message changed from “Here comes the sunlight” during the warmest part of the day to “Here comes the cold night” when the sun set.

To be effective, we needed to convince people that this wasn’t some far-off issue, it was happening in their community. So we set out to create a large-scale outdoor execution that would be visually arresting and in using the sun to power the message, a symbol of the issue. It needed to not only gain attention but help educate people about energy poverty. It shouldn’t look like a typical advertisement and needed to stand out amongst the Black Friday advertising and retail blitz. Because of the issue we were tackling, it needed to be built responsibly using simple materials like wood and wire.

As our strategy evolved, it felt right that the experience should draw people in by piquing their curiosity. Further, we wanted to create a tension between the juxtaposition of a delightful phrase like “here comes the sunlight” with the harsh reality of “the dark night.”

Using hand-bent coils made of 200 feet of wire and a backdrop built of 800 square feet of lumber, we got to work building the sculpture.

After studying meteorological and atmospheric conditions, we chose Denver to host the installation because of its abundance of sunshine in winter, as well as its culture of close community and its deep roots in the energy industry. But in the event of clouds, solar panels were attached to the installation to store light to power the message.

Beside the sculpture was a kiosk with additional information and insights into energy poverty. It also included a simple way for visitors to give from their phone to United Way’s energy assistance program, with donation matching by Nest. We timed the launch around Black Friday to capture busy holiday shoppers and encourage them to give on (the following) Giving Tuesday.

Through the Nest Power Project, over 800 thousand dollars have been donated so far to the families that need it most. Additionally, one million energy and money saving thermostats are being made available to homes in need. And through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, every Habitat home built in the US is slated to include a money and energy saving thermostat. Beyond the metrics, the Power Project has started a dialog about an underreported issue: energy bills that are excessively high and the uneven distribution of the energy efficiency. We’ve also given people a way to get involved and help their local communities, in cities like Denver and beyond.