Thomas Edison Switches to LED

Those of you who have visited the Thomas Edison’s Centre, Menlo Park, New Jersey, can’t have failed to spot the 14-foot-tall glass replica incandescent lamp which sits atop the 118-foot tower. Acknowledging the great man’s contribution to the modern world, the invention of the lightbulb, the monument has been given a 2 year facelift. When it is unveiled this Summer however it won’t be illuminated with the incandescent lamps like before, it will house retrofit LED’s instead.

The previous bulbs were proving to be unreliable and when maintenance was required, which was quite often, the Museum staff were forced to access the tower by a narrow ladder, proving both dangerous and difficult.

As well as reducing the maintenance required, the LED’s will most certainly reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions also.
Christa Gaffigan of project architects Mills and Schnoering, was quoted as saying “I know there are other people wondering why we’re doing that, but it’s definitely for the energy efficiency. It’s on the forefront of lighting.”

Along with Edison’s monument switching to LED, over 1100 Spar Stores in the UK are to be lighting their aisles with LED fixtures. The estimation is that over the 8.5 year lifetime of the installation each store will save over £3500 per year on energy, lamps and maintenance.

Museums and art galleries are also benefitting from these savings in addition to the absence of Ultra Violet and Infra-Red emissions both of which degrade works of art even in small quantities.

With more and more businesses and homes switching to LED, it is now cheaper in real terms to buy and install than Low Voltage lighting was 30 years ago! With the super long lifespan , the absence of any heat and the high resistance to damage these lamps are becoming suitable for more and more areas in our homes and businesses.

Still need convincing- take a look at our detailed guide and a look at our LED products. You won’t be disappointed.