On January 6, the massive LED-covered Times Square ball - used to ring in the 2009 New Year’s celebration in New York City - was lit again and sent back up its flagpole.

The 12-foot-dia. 12,000 pound ball will now have a permanent home on the roof of One Times Square and will be lit up in patterns to commemorate holidays and other events.

The Ball, which is twice its previous size, will incorporate more than three times as many Philips Luxeon LEDs as last year’s version and deliver a brighter and greener experience, the company says.

The ball now contains 32,256 Philips Luxeon LEDs, which are as much as 20% more energy-efficient than last year’s and consume about the same amount of energy per hour as it takes to operate just two conventional home ovens.

“While New Year’s Eve occurs only once a year, the LED technology on display in the Times Square Ball will soon evolve into a very real energy-efficient lighting alternative for consumers around the world, and will help drive a more bright and sustainable future for generations to come, said Kaj den Daas, Chairman of Philips Lighting North America.

Philips also lit the Times Square mumerals (2-0-0-9) using its Halogena Energy Savers – a family of bright and long-lasting halogen bulbs which are 30-47% more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps, the company says.

Also contributing to the ball were Focus Lighting, which created a lighting design that utilizes over 3,500 lighting cues to orchestrate the colorful moving patterns of light, and Lighting Science Group, which designed, developed, and produced an integrated lighting system. The ball is covered by 2,668 triangular Waterford Crystals.

(source: LEDs Magazine)