Duke Energy Building - Ever Wonder How They Choose the Color?

I've always wondered about the significance of the color shown along the edges of Charlotte's Duke Energy Building and I finally found the answer today!

Duke Energy Center lights

Since its opening in 2010, the Duke Energy Center, owned and operated by Wells Fargo, has brought a burst of color to the Charlotte skyline and provided another means of "energizing" support for a multitude of wonderful community events – from national holidays and events like Race for the Cure, to Panthers games, to cultural and arts gatherings and beyond.

Wells Fargo built the Duke Energy Center to serve its business needs, and the building is a physical representation of the company’s commitment to Charlotte. As part of the design process, Wells Fargo incorporated special features into the building, like the lights, as a way to visually connect the company’s vision and values directly with the community. The lights provide a vibrancy that reflects the heartbeat of the community – and they do so in a very energy-efficient way.

All of the Duke Energy Center’s exterior lights are 100% LED and uses dramatcially less than 1% of the energy consumed by the building (LED lights consume 30% less energy than a standard light). These highly efficient lights also contribute to the building’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification. The Duke Energy Center is the first and tallest office tower to receive this designation under the LEED for Core & Shell rating system Version 2.0. LEED Platinum is the highest possible standard of sustainability and energy efficiency that a building can achieve through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program.

Wells Fargo’s Lighting Committee accepts requests to light the Duke Energy Center at CharlotteSpecialEvents@wellsfargo.com. If a request is approved, a Tweet will be sent out on the day of the light show through the lights’ official Twitter handle, @WellsLightsCLT, to let followers know what the day’s color scheme represents. The lights are turned on at 5:00 a.m. and go off 30 minutes after sunrise, then turn back on 30 minutes before sunset and remain on until 1:30 a.m. every day. On those rare occasions when there are no special requests, the building defaults to white lights with a three minute color-changing "show" at the top of each hour. The response from the Charlotte community to these popular light shows has been tremendous, and followers of @WellsLightsCLT often re-Tweet messages sent from the handle to show their support for the various causes reflected by the lights.

Wells Fargo’s Duke Energy Center has a lot to celebrate, from its own accolades – including being named the "Smartest Building in America," as well as being one of the most sustainable buildings in the country – to its support of local events and organizations through its light shows.

We are proud to actively support the Duke Energy Smart Energy Now program by ensuring that lights are on a schedule and leveraging the most energy efficient lighting available. Wells Fargo is proud to be a community partner and welcomes organizations to participate by submitting requests to help celebrate community events.