The sparkle of Times Square this New Year's Eve keeps getting greener as we get closer to 2010. Earlier this week, the ball got a sparkling makeover with the addition of new crystals to add to the glow of its LED lights.

Designers for Waterford and Philips teamed up to add 288 crystals to be lit by the ball's 32,256 LED lights. The last-minute crystal additions feature triangles etched with angel wings to embody this year's Time Square New Year's theme: Let there be courage.

Regan Iglesia, a senior brand director for Waterford, explained the careful selection of the theme for the new decade to Fox News."We need courage for the coming year, with the war, the economy, people losing their homes, people without food. Our goal was to bring forward all the hopes for the world."

Apparently, those hopes include a global initiative for energy-efficiency. This year's ball, with its LED bulbs, will use less energy than any previous New Year's balls in Times Square.

Moreover, the eco-friendly ball will be a bright symbol of eco-efficiency for a broader audience than ever before. The drop will be broadcast on television as always, and this year it can also be seen on seven LED screens positioned throughout New York City, as well as live on the internet at timessquareNYC.org.

The LED New Year's Eve ball may offer inspiration for energy conservation this year, but it seems many homeowners are already motivated to use LED and CFL bulbs. Efforts to go green with energy-saving light bulbs are one of Americans' top 10 eco-friendly resolutions for 2010.