At some point in time we have all watched the Times Square New Year’s Ball drop to bring in the new year, if not every year. Did you know that the ball stays illuminated year round thanks to Phillips? This year Phillips is celebrating their 11th anniversary as the official lighting partner to The Times Square Ball. We know you are probably questioning the energy it takes to light the ball year round. The Times Square Alliance and Phillips have dedication in making the lighting sustainable. Over the years the Ball has been upgraded with Philips energy efficient bulbs. The most recent upgrade was to LED lighting resulting in its energy usage reducing by 88 percent. Want to know more? Take a look at these Times Square New Year’s Ball lighting facts:

• The Ball will consume only the same amount of energy per hour as it takes to operate just two traditional home ovens. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy – Consumer Appliance Energy Use)
• The numerals will consume the same amount of energy per hour as it takes to operate just one 40 gallon home water heater. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy – Consumer Appliance Energy Use)
• The Ball is lit by 32,256 Philips LUXEON LEDs, each of which can be digitally controlled to create extraordinary effects.
• Red, green, blue and white LEDs in the Ball create a palette of more than 16 million vivid, vibrant, and highly-saturated colors as well as billions of possible lighting effects.
• The LED lighting in the Ball has a rated average life of 30,000 hours, compared to the roughly 1,000 hour life span of previous incandescent and halogen solutions. This is especially important as the Ball is now lit year-round.
• The Ball features waterproof modules and connections as well as the ability to passively dissipate heat. Each LED in the ball has its own specific address, enabling a level of two-way communication and digital controllability never before possible.
• Whereas incandescent and halogen bulbs may be subject to failure if dropped or bounced, LEDs can withstand vibration and shock, delivering superior durability.
• Philips LEDs are lead and mercury-free as well as RoHS-compliant (a European standard known as ‘reduction of hazardous substances’).