In a corner of the Livermore Fire Department in California, an old-fashioned
carbon filament lightbulb has been burning continuously since 1901. As of 2015, the Centennial Bulb racked up over 1,000,000 hours of service.
Well, you know what they say – we just don’t make ‘em like that anymore.
Of course, the Centennial Bulb is celebrated as a major exception and minor marvel. The average incandescent lightbulb can barely shine for a month with continuous use, let alone over a hundred years. How did we get from monthly maintenance rounds to the high-tech industrial lighting we see today?
The lifespan of the average bulb didn't evolve completely organically. Did you know that a conglomerate of lighting companies actually decided to depress the average lifespan of the incandescent bulb in 1924? When sales turnover started to slow down, the world’s largest lighting companies agreed to enact the thousand-hour lifespan standard. This practice, called planned obsolescence, dominated the lighting market for most of the century.
But the days of designed-to-fade bulbs are over – we really don’t make ‘em like that anymore. We make them better.
So what options do you have today if you’re looking for longevity in lighting?
The rise of LED lighting solutions disrupted the incandescent and fluorescent lighting market with a cost-effective, energy efficient, long-lasting alternative.
In that case, where’s the cabal of lighting companies, gathering to initiate the next wave of planned obsolescence?
LED lighting can and will evolve beyond keeping the lights on – it already has.
Smart LED lighting can be programmed in as many ways as people have the imagination to apply it, from automatic motion sensors brightening a room for passerby to sound-sensitive LED street lights that automatically record incidents of noise above a certain decibel to the municipal office or the police.
This opens up opportunities on an industrial scale as well, allowing builders, engineers, and manufacturers more control than ever over how their lighting performs.
Our LED Lighting Specialists have evaluated a diverse range of industrial and commercial spaces for the most energy efficient, cost-effective lighting solutions. We can analyze LED lighting energy savings and cost savings for your industrial or commercial space with a free consultation.
Find out how your facility can upgrade to LED lighting and enjoy a lower energy bill and no maintenance: