The annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square will once again showcase the dropping of a dazzling green ball, as the iconic sphere will be illuminated by energy efficient Philips LEDs! The LED ball will also welcome the new U.S. energy and lighting standards that go into effect on January 1st, under the Energy Independence and Security Act. In addition, Philips’ new LED light bulbs will be available for home use.
For years, Philips Lighting has been providing the bright lights that entice thousands to Times Square each year to watch the ball drop and bring in the new year. This year, 32,256 LUXEON LEDs will glitter in a range of colors as the Times Square Ball descends to partiers’ delight. The LEDs stay lit year round, with low energy usage.
But aside from symbolizing the movement into the New Year, the ball drop will also signify Phillip’s next move — to replace the usage of incandescent light bulbs in American homes. Like the LEDs used in the Times Square Ball, Philips is introducing a consumer line called AmbientLED. Specifically, the 12-watt AmbientLED A19 model will be an innovation for all- effectively able to replace the 60-watt incandescent bulb!
The new bulbs use roughly 80 percent less energy than traditional bulbs, making a huge savings for consumer use. Because of the popularity of LEDs and energy efficient bulbs, the AmbientLED line is both affordable and practical for home use. If everyone switched to Philips AmbientLEDs at home, a whopping 87.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions would be eliminated, and the energy savings would total $15.8 billion!
So whether you’re watching the ball drop on television or are bundled up in Times Square yourself, you can celebrate not just the new year, but a greener, more energy efficient 2012!
