Philips to light Times Square ball and numerals with LEDs

Philips Electronics (Somerset, NJ) has illuminated the world-famous Times Square ball for the past ten years. The past two years, Philips used its Luxeon LEDs to light the ball (which is actually a geodesic dome).

John Wallace

Dec. 9, 2009

Philips Electronics (Somerset, NJ) has illuminated the world-famous Times Square ball for the past ten years, as the company just announced. The past two years, Philips used its Luxeon LEDs to light the ball (which is actually a geodesic dome, and is also a lot bigger than it used to be). Now, for the 2009-2010 New Year's celebration, Philips will be lighting the Times Square ball numerals as well, meaning that the entire display will be lit by LEDs.

The 545 custom-designed Philips scalloped LED flood bulbs lighting the numerals will use just 9 watts each, compared to the 40 watts consumed by the incandescent and halogen bulbs previously used, resulting in a 78% energy savings.

The new LED bulbs are designed for outdoor use and are rated to last for 25,000 hours based on the way they will be used in the Times Square application. This means that, at about 10 hours usage per year, the LEDs should last for the next couple of millennia.

About the Author

John Wallace

Senior Technical Editor (1998-2022)

John Wallace was with Laser Focus World for nearly 25 years, retiring in late June 2022. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and physics at Rutgers University and a master's in optical engineering at the University of Rochester. Before becoming an editor, John worked as an engineer at RCA, Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and GCA Corporation.