Thomas Edison Monument Finally Makes the Switch to LED Light Bulbs

A Thomas Edison Monument in New Jersey will reopen this summer after years of being closed for maintenance, but with one key difference. Instead of being illuminated by his own invention, the incandescent bulb, the monument to Thomas Edison will be lit up entirely by energy-efficient LEDs, forming the new frontier for lighting solutions across the globe.

The glass replica light bulb, which is a monument to the great invention, will no longer be lit with an array of incandescent bulb, as these are seen to be too costly to run, as well as harmful to the environment due to their inefficiency. Instead, LED light bulbs will illuminate the bulb, lasting up to 25 times longer than their outdated predecessors and making the new wave of lighting technology that was sparked by Edison himself.

Steven Ellwood, Managing Director of BLT Direct, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of energy-saving light bulbs and efficient lighting solutions, says, “Thomas Edison stood for innovation, and this latest innovation that concerns his monument is not shunning his life’s work for a newer model; it is celebrating his success by demonstrating exactly how far we have come as a result of his humble invention. It is fantastic to see the world embracing LEDs as the primary lighting method, and installing them at the monument to Thomas Edison could provide no greater endorsement.”

In welcoming a new form of innovation and technology into a famous old monument such as this, the technology world has emphasised just how important the LED will continue to be for the world. Now used in thousands of homes and businesses, as well as being utilised by governments all over the world for public buildings and outdoor areas, the LED is the cutting-edge of lighting technology and has become one of the most popular and efficient ways to illuminate any space.

The bulbs are often chosen for their efficiency, but their aesthetics should not be overlooked. Monuments are often lit up to highlight their splendour, and the right lights must be chosen for the job to ensure the attraction looks its very best. The move to switch to LEDs is not only a ringing endorsement of the bulbs’ efficiency and green credentials, they are also a nod to how beautifully they light up a space that will be looked upon by thousands of tourists and local residents. 

Renovation of the tower and the monument hasn’t just stopped with the replacement of light bulbs. In the spirit of truly bringing the attraction into the 21^st century, the tower’s sound system, which used to play music from a phonograph, will be fitted with top-of-the-range mp3 technology.