The American inventor who built the first complete system of electric light and power: a practical incandescent lamp in 1879, then generation, distribution and metering together at the Pearl Street Station in Manhattan in 1882, the first central power station serving paying customers. His backing of direct current lost the war of currents to alternating current, and the industry he founded kept his name for a century.
Facts
Defining ContributionThe first complete electric light and power system, Pearl Street Station, 1882 1 Connections
Associated With
Pearl Street Station was the first complete commercial generation and distribution system.
Source Encyclopedia Britannica
Milestones Credited
Source United States Department of Energy Official Site
Source Grace's Guide to British Industrial History
Source Encyclopedia Britannica
Technologies Developed
Sketched and patented an early automatic circuit breaker concept in 1879 to protect his electrical distribution system.
Edison Pearl Street Station, 1882, is documented as the world first cogeneration plant, supplying waste steam heat to nearby buildings.
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica
United States Department of Energy Official Site
US Department of EnergyMilestones Credited: Edison Perfects the Incandescent Lamp, The History of the Light Bulb, Incandescent Bulbs Light the WayQuote, Milestones Credited: Edison Perfects the Incandescent Lamp, The History of the Light Bulb, Incandescent Bulbs Light the Way
By October 1879, Edison's team had produced a light bulb with a carbonized filament of uncoated cotton thread that could last for 14.5 hours.
Grace's Guide to British Industrial History
Grace's Guide LtdMilestones Credited: Holborn Viaduct Station Opens, Edison first public electricity generation stationQuote, Milestones Credited: Holborn Viaduct Station Opens, Edison first public electricity generation station
1882 Thomas Edison designed (what has been claimed to be) the world's first public steam-powered electricity generating station to light the lamps on Holborn Viaduct.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.