SBI Reports has been leading industrial market research reporting for more than a decade. The brand established SBI Energy to address the complex nature of the Energy and Resources industry. SBI Energy reports capture data vital to emerging energy market sectors on a global scale. Growth of energy technology, manufacturing, construction, transportation and investment is exciting in its innovations and opportunities, and integral to the advancement of security and science.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
LED and Energy Efficient Lighting Worldwide Markets: Indoor, Outdoor, Residential, Commercial
Market Insights: A Selection From The Report
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
In solid-state applications, light propagates from the surface of tiny segments of semi conductors. The process is somewhat similar to that of the fluorescent lamp as electrons energize and fluoresce as they recombine with the semi-conductive material. In the minerals used for LEDs the energy released is either visible light or UV radiation. If UV light is emitted, the diode is coated with a phosphor. The phosphor absorbs the UV rays, and then emits visible light. Directional, monochromatic light is the result.
Silicon and other semi-conductive minerals are grown into extremely pure mono-crystals. The atoms in a mono-crystal align perfectly and uniformly with no internal boundaries. These 300 mm diameter cylinders are sliced into wafers about 0.75 mm thick, polished, and sold as wafers.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) come to life in semiconductor wafer fabrication plants called “fabs”. These plants are very expensive costing about $8 billion and up each. The semiconductor chips require “clean rooms”, specially designed spaces where all airborne contaminants are controlled. The numerous steps in the process to create a single “die” consum…
Roadway Lighting
Roadway lighting includes, in some cases, the fixture to hold the lamp as well as the lamp itself.
Roadway lighting is another prime target for investigation of energy savings. There are an estimated 500 million streetlights around the world illuminating tricky intersections and neighborhood streets. Thirty-four million light up America. Another 100 million stand watch over American parking lots. As a rough figure, streetlights consume up to 35% of a municipality’s energy bill based on high-pressure sodium technology. LED streetlights cut that figure in half.
Approximately 610,000 LED streetlights were installed worldwide in 2009. Published plans by various government entities reveal that 870,000 more units will be placed during 2010. China and Taiwan are leading the streetlight conversions although both governments will accomplish their goals in this area probably by the end of 2010 and will shift subsidies to other programs. China installed about 250,000 LED streetlights in 2009. Up to a total of 400,000 units are in the installation phase for China.
The U.S. has not initiated a nation-wide conversion program rather individual municipalities are specifying LED replacements. Los Angeles is planning to install 140,000 over five years beginning in 1008. Los Angeles’ 209,0000 streetlights rank second in quantity behind New York City.
The number of competitors in the field is growing.
LED Roadway LLC is a three-year-old (2007) startup from Halifax…
LED and Energy Efficient Lighting Worldwide Markets: Indoor, Outdoor, Residential, Commercial
The lighting industry is abuzz with new technologies to meet energy savings requirements. Compact fluorescent lights, CFLs, light emitting diodes, LEDs, and organic light emitting diodes, OLEDs, are becoming familiar terms.
The CFL was expected to become the dominant provider of residential general illumination. But the success of the CFL is also its failure. Its longer life has cut into its own sales. These sales are misleading as they were initially heavily subsidized by governments. The initial quality of CFLs produced were poor resulting in less than expected net savings. The EPA warnings about how to contain a broken CFL were such that families with small children would think twice before installing one. Recyclability of the CFL has not really been addressed in a uniform way. Therefore, the once incredible wind-fall market, mandated by governments, may never be realized for CFLs. In fact US imports of CFLs rose from 144 million units in 2005 to 460 million units in 2007 (a 300% gain) but then fell to 317 million units in 2009.
Cold cathode fluorescent lights (CCFLs) hidden behind LCD displays are being replaced. Light emitting diodes (LEDs), once limited to red, amber, and green have bloomed in white light. Advances are occurring almost daily in developing white LEDs that are more naturally colored and brighter. The highest grades are called high-brights (HB-LEDs). HB-LEDs are moving in to take the lead as back-lighting agents leading to thinner, lighter, and brighter displays.
Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are formed from organic rather than inorganic materials and are printed rather than etched or layered on a semiconductor chip. Printing is an economical process but requires great control. So far OLEDs are still waiting for their big technological break-though but it’s only a matter of time.
Quickly on the heels of the diodes are other more exotic technologies including quantum dots and semi-micro-electro-mechanical systems (micro machines!).
All of these competing technologies have advantages and disadvantages. As of now the markets are wide open and can accommodate many participants. Because the entry cost to some of these technologies is fairly low even small operators have chances to make big profits. However, once a 15% reduction in energy is achieved advanced lighting controls, smart grids etc. will offer less savings.
LED and Energy Efficient Lighting
SBI Energy has just released a report titled “LED and Energy Efficient Lighting” for the benefit of professionals involved with the lighting industry at multiple levels. These levels are marked as component manufacturers, subassembly manufacturers, and units ready for the end-user. Everything is covered from soup to nuts. Or better yet from infrared to ultraviolet!
This new release takes us from where we are today, very low efficient lighting reactions and products, to the future, where much less energy is consumed by the generation of light. In so doing, the author reveals:
—-The status of the current market: sizes and markets for traditional lighting including by light source type and by regional analysis.
—-What factors are driving the demise of this traditional lighting and who or what are the driving forces?
—-What new technologies are on their way to save the day and who’s bringing them? How are new technologies being incorporated into the marketplace right now and by whom and with what results? What can we expect around the next corner?
The report will provide an eye-opener to the lighting industry market and delineate regions of opportunity to those involved in specifying lighting in any situation, producers of components of lighting, lighting designers and manufacturers.
