Energy-Saving Leads CES Exhibition, LED Becomes 'Standard'

　　At the recently opened global consumer electronics show CES, energy-saving solutions have attracted much attention. As a key energy-saving technology product in the electronics field, the application of LED has already become a 'standard' at CES. Many manufacturers have launched green TVs, projectors and other products that use LEDs to significantly reduce energy consumption. For lighting equipment, some manufacturers have also launched LED desk lamps.

　　CES is a microcosm of global LED applications.

　　In addition to the display and backlight fields, against the backdrop of upstream chip price declines and improvements in luminous efficiency, the penetration rate of LED in the lighting field has rapidly increased. Professional research firm DIGITIMES Research estimates that after 2012, with LED manufacturers beginning to focus on the general lighting market, many countries starting to replace LED streetlights, and LED lighting experiencing an annual price drop of 30%, the share of global LED lighting output value will further increase to nearly 20% in 2013.

　　LED Enters Comprehensive Application Stage

　　LED has become an energy-saving and environmentally friendly method against the backdrop of the current energy crisis, greenhouse effect, and ecological environment deterioration. At this CES, reporters saw that many consumer electronics companies specially showcased green product solutions. For example, a color TV company showcased energy-saving TVs. Due to the full use of LED light sources, a TV used for 6 months can achieve energy savings of 7.2KW and carbon emission reduction of 5.6KG. LED application in the field of video display has already become standard. In the lighting field, there are also companies showcasing LED desk lamps as learning desk lamp products for promotion.

　　Currently, major lighting manufacturers in Japan such as NEC, Sharp, Toshiba, Panasonic, and Hitachi have successively launched low-priced semiconductor lighting products. Various LED bulbs can be seen in many electronic product stores in Japan. Recently, Toshiba and Panasonic also plan to start selling straight tube LED lamps.

　　In the Chinese market, the large-scale entry into chip production in 2010 is a major highlight of China's LED industry. Industry research institution LED inside analyzed that the number of MOCVD units for LED equipment that China plans to add in the coming years exceeds 1,200, of which the number of MOCVD planned to be added in 2010 exceeds 300.

　　The expansion of production capacity has accelerated the reduction in prices. Sinolink Securities research reports point out that the improvement of luminous efficiency and the reduction in prices have driven LEDs into a comprehensive application stage. Currently, LED applications have entered various application fields such as displays, backlights, and lighting, and the comprehensive application stage has arrived. "Currently, LED luminous efficiency has exceeded 100lm/w, and the price has dropped below $5/w, with large-scale commercial conditions already met."

　　Price has always been the decisive factor in extending LED application areas, from price-insensitive municipal landscaping, to more price-sensitive commercial backlighting, to general lighting which is the most price-sensitive. Guojin Securities predicts that LED prices will quickly meet commercial popularization requirements: the cost of 1000lm luminous flux will be below USD 10, and warm-light LED luminous efficiency will exceed 100lm per watt.

　　Commercial Lighting and Display Become Main Growth Drivers

　　A Guojin Securities research report points out that commercial lighting and display will be the main growth drivers for future LED applications, with the global market size in 2012 expected to reach USD 9.2 billion and USD 11.2 billion, and 3-year compound growth rates of 33% and 19%. The domestic market is growing even faster, with annual increases of 39% and 23%. Reporters learned that the 2008 Beijing Olympics used hundreds of thousands of LED chips, and by the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, LED chip usage had exceeded 1 billion.

　　The expansion of the LED market, especially the significant decline in LED chip and other quotations, has brought development opportunities for downstream packaging and application enterprises. Lighting is expected to become a new important application area for the LED industry following TV backlighting.

　　Currently, LED lighting has become one of the main development policies of many countries. Australia was the first in the world to issue regulations banning the use of incandescent bulbs in 2007, and the EU also passed regulations on phasing out incandescent bulbs in March 2009.

DIGITIMES predicts that LED bulb shipments will grow significantly, with output value estimated to reach approximately US$8 billion. In terms of output value, the penetration rate of the global LED lighting market will exceed 10% in 2011. The agency also pointed out that after 2012, driven by factors such as major LED manufacturers beginning to focus on the general lighting market, many countries starting to replace LED streetlights, and LED lighting prices dropping by 30% annually, the penetration rate of global LED lighting output value will further increase to nearly 20% by 2013.

(Editor: zl)