NY Times Square Ball: brighter and greener with LED lighting

Philips Lighting, the official lighting partner of the Times Square Ball, has once again achieved a new standard in green lighting for the 2008-2009 season with a larger New Year’s Eve Ball that is brighter and more energy-efficient.
The 2008-2009 New Year’s Eve experience will be brighter and more impactful than ever before thanks to the more than 32,000 Philips LEDs incorporated in the Ball. Capable of delivering more than 16 million rich and vibrant colors and billions of possible kinetic effects, the Ball’s updated LEDs consume only a fraction of the energy of the previous halogen and incandescent configuration and are even 10-20% more energy-efficient than the Philips LEDs used in last year’s Ball.
In the Times Square Ball has doubled in size yet only consumes the same amount of energy per hour as it takes to operate just two traditional ovens!

Number of LEDs on Ball: The ball contains 32,256 Philips Luxeon LEDs, more than 3 times the number used in last year’s Ball. Each and every LED can be digitally controlled to create the most extraordinary effects (Note: not all LEDs will be illuminated at any given time).

Colors: Red, green, blue and white LEDs will create a palette of more than 16 million vivid, vibrant and highly-saturated colors as well as billions of possible lighting effects.

Times Square Ball Lighting: The Times Square Ball lighting system is designed to operate in excess of 30,000 hours based on application factors (compared to previous incandescent and halogen solutions, which were only expected to operate for about 1,000 hours). The long life of the LEDs will be a key benefit to this iconic application, as this year’s Times Square Ball will be perched atop 1 Times Square for year-round enjoyment for the first time ever.

Efficiency of LED Light Source Relative to the Times Square Ball Lit by Previous Incandescent and Halogen Light Sources: Overall, it will take a total of only 22 Watts of power for Philips’ red, green, blue, and white LEDs to produce the equivalent amount of light output generated by 180 Watts of incandescent light bulbs in previous years. This represents a 158-Watt, or 88%, reduction in electricity consumption per four-color series.

Environmental Impact of LED Efficiency:

LEDs demand far less electricity than incandescent or halogen technology by delivering an equivalent level of light output with significantly fewer Watts of power. This reduces the amount of electricity that utilities will have to generate, which helps avoid the airborne emission of such hazardous pollutants as CO2, mercury and sulfur dioxide – all by-products of the electricity generation process.
LED Response Time: LED technology delivers instant on and instant off capability, whereas incandescent and halogen technology takes time to both reach full brightness and power down. The LEDs’ rapid response time enables an exponential range of kinetic lighting effects never before possible with previous technology.
Durability: Whereas incandescent and halogen bulbs may be subject to failure if dropped, bounced, or vibrated, LEDs can withstand vibration and shock, delivering superior durability and reduced maintenance concerns.
Hazard-Free Light Source: Philips LEDs are lead and mercury-free as well as RoHS-
compliant (a European standard known as “Reduction of Hazardous Substances”).
Construction and Controllability: The Times Square 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.