Yesterday, Ignazio Marino, Rome’s mayor, announced that the Italian capital and the Vatican City would be replacing all public space light-bulbs with the new energy-saving ones.
“We have prepared an innovative operation that will enable 12,000 streets and squares of Rome to be illuminated by 190,000 LED-powered lamps and citizens will be able to see results within the next few weeks,” Mr Marino said.
“The expected investment is between €45-50m and will allow Rome city council to save up to 55% of its annual electrical bill, that is, over €15 million every year,” he added.
One of the first sites to undergo the change to the energy-efficient lighting will be the Sistine Chapel. Reports say that by November, the iconic Michelangelo fresco The Last Judgement will be illuminated by 7,000 LED bulbs, and will offer tourists an entirely new experience and way to see it.
Michelangelo's The Last Judgement (Wikipedia Commons)
It has been a bright week for the light-emitting diode (LED), as an American and two Japanese scientists won the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics on Tuesday for their work with the light-source.
The trio is credited with inventing the blue LED, which is an essential component to producing white light for use in homes, businesses, and street illumination. Previously, only red and green diodes had existed, making the cost-effective and energy-saving LEDs useless for home use.
