Illuminating ideas from Blackpool

The Blackpool Illuminations began in 1879 with just eight arc lamps. Today they are a different story entirely, and represent one of Blackpool’s key tourist attractions. Thirty staff work all year round to create and maintain the spectacular LED lightshow, which helps brings in more than £200m in revenue to Blackpool.

However, the lights are much more than pretty – they are green too. In 2002 the display included a world’s first: outdoor LED technology. LED light bulbs are used in the display because they are much cheaper to run and maintain. Since 2002 all the new features have been built using LED light bulbs.

The main advantage of LED lighting is efficiency. With normal incandescent bulbs, the light production process generates a great deal of heat. A huge amount of the available electricity produces heat instead of light. This makes it costly to run and wasteful. LED light bulbs generate very little heat, making them an efficient light source.

The increased lifespan of an LED bulb is another cost saver which will help the Blackpool Illuminations continue as the country’s most spectacular free light show.

The electricity consumption of the Blackpool light show has been slashed in recent years simply by using low energy LED light bulbs and CFL lighting. Clearly this makes economic as well as environmental sense.

And that’s not all. The Illuminations now only use green energy from renewable sources, such as wind and Bio-Gas. This has reduced the carbon emissions to an impressive zero. There are two large wind turbines on Blackpool Promenade supplying energy directly to the lights, and plans are afoot to harness solar energy too.

It’s plain to see Blackpool illuminations have come a long way since 1879. But don’t just take our word for it. Pay them a visit, safe in the knowledge you aren’t adding to your carbon footprint.