Louvre getting LED makeover

The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world and Toshiba has just announced a deal that will see it install LED systems as part of a renovation project that will make the French tourist attraction more energy efficient and eco-friendly.

A number of the most popular areas within the Louvre are to have an LED makeover in the form of lighting systems that will illuminate the works on show whilst reducing the amount of energy that is being consumed.

Toshiba is planning to integrate 4500 lamps into its LED system at the Louvre and it will be involved in servicing the museum for the next 13 years as part of a long term agreement.

At present, xenon lighting is in widespread use in most of the museum’s public areas, but Toshiba will be ditching this in favour of LED alternatives in structures including the Pyramids, with work being completed there by the end of 2011.

The LED systems are not only more energy efficient than their predecessors, but also brighter and longer lasting. As a result, the beauty of the treasures within the Louvre will be even easier for the public to observe. Given that some eight and a half million people wander its halls and view its exhibits each year, the benefits will be widely appreciated.

Toshiba is planning to forge many more international partnerships based on its LED systems, with expansion expected in the UK and around Europe. It is hoping that this will fuel the growth of its LED division and see it selling hundreds of billions of units within the next five years as uptake increases.