Sales of LED lamps in Asia-Pacific will hit 3.4 billion units in 2016.

Sales of LED lamps for general lighting applications in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region will reach nearly 3.4 billion units in 2016, according to a new forecast by market analyst company?ElectroniCast. The figure equates to an average annual growth rate of 101.6% between 2011 and 2016. 

In 2011, the street lighting category of LED lamp applications dominated the product market share in terms of consumption value in APAC. However, comments ElectroniCast, the General Service (?Type-A?) lamp is closing in fast and is forecast to overtake the street lighting category by 2013.

The analyst points out that there is a big difference in product category market share from the value data ($ million) versus the volume data (quantity/number of units), especially for the streetlight category. This is because there is such a huge difference in the relatively higher pricing for a streetlight lamp compared to the lower pricing for other types of lamp.

For example, in terms of volume (number of lamps) expected to be consumed, the street lighting category has an estimated (only) 1% of the total volume of LED-based lamps use in APAC in 2012.

Some designs of streetlight fixtures may feature than one lamp. Therefore ElectroniCast expects that the average street lamp will increase in brightness output over the forecast period (2011-2016). Consequently, fewer LEDs per lamp and fewer lamps per light fixture are expected to be required over time. The data considered by ElectroniCast counts the lamps rather than the fixtures.

The forecast also segments the market data by three major end-user categories: government, commercial/industrial, and residential/non-specific. Most of the streetlights come under the ?government? category; the commercial/ industrial group is especially strong in the PAR lamps, MR lamps and Type-A lamps (near term).

LED linear/tube lamps and specialty lamps, such as high bay and flood lamps, are also counted, while the residential category is forecast to have ?relatively strong? use of the general service (Type-A) style of lamps.

ElectroniCast estimates that 101.66 million LED lamps units were installed in the APAC region in 2011. The number of LED lamps used in 2016 is forecast to be nearly 3.39 billion units, representing an average annual growth rate of 101.6% (2011-2016).

National splits

Additionally, the APAC LED lamp forecast provides the market data by the following regional segments: Asia Pacific (Total), People?s Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea and the Rest of Asia. 

The 679-page market forecast report is available from ElectroniCast Consultants at a cost of USD 4,200. For detailed information, contact Theresa Hosking: thosking@electronicastconsultants.com About the Author Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to?optics.org ]]> http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?feed=rss2&p=821 0 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=817 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=817#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 17:37:47 +0000 admin http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=817 Carnegie Mellon reports that DC power is cheaper for LED lighting 27 Apr 2012 Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have published a paper evaluating the cost of energy for lighting systems and concluded that a DC grid is far less expensive powering LED lighting. The debate over AC or DC power grids will apparently continue into a third century as researchers have documented significant energy savings potential in commercial buildings when LED lighting is powered by a DC grid. Carnegie Mellon University researchers say DC power could save $24,000 a year in a 48,000-ft²?building lit by solid-state lighting (SSL).

The university team published the research in the scientific journal?Energy Policy. A DC grid was not identified as an advantage for fluorescent lighting, but the advantage for SSL is clear. Moreover in a building equipped with solar cells that generate DC power, the savings escalate another $5000 per year.

The savings documented by the researchers is over and above the baseline energy savings attributable to LED-based lighting. The documented savings are purely attributable to the efficiency of the power grid and the power conversions needed to drive the lighting.

In reality, the report is hardly a surprise. Fluorescent lighting was designed for AC-powered applications. LEDs require an AC-DC conversion, and generally a second, constant-current DC conversion to operate from the AC line. Every conversion wastes energy and a DC grid eliminates a conversion stage. And in the case of the additional savings in a solar installation, those DC solar cells also minimize conversions.

DC grid activity

Indeed, the allure of DC power is already apparent in the SSL industry. We’ve covered the activities of the?EMerge Alliance since its founding in 2009. EMerge is focused on standardization of a DC-power grid for commercial buildings. The initial target was lighting but now the alliance is also targeting?DC power to the desktop.

In addition, lighting network specialist?Redwood Systems?is supplying DC power to SSL luminaires in its proprietary system. The Redwood lighting engine uses Cat-5/6, computer-network cables to carry DC power and control information.

There are a number of lighting vendors that have announced products that are compatible with the EMerge and/or Redwood Systems. Lunera Lighting, for example, announced?Redwood-compatible planar lighting?last September and had previously announced an?EMerge-compliant model. About the Author Maury Wright?is the Editor of?LEDs Magazine. ]]> http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?feed=rss2&p=817 0 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=814 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=814#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 17:34:48 +0000 admin http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=814 LED downlights perform well in DOE Caliper Report 14 26 Apr 2012 The US Department of Energy has completed Series 14 of Caliper testing of LED downlight retrofit units. Beginning this year, every Caliper summary focuses on a single product type or application. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has completed Series 14 of testing solid-state lighting (SSL) products in its SSL Caliper program. A summary of the results is available for download on the?DOE SSL website. 

Test enclosure

Round 14 of testing focused on LED downlight retrofit units with a 6-inch round aperture that were purchased between June and November 2011. To simulate in-fixture testing, the units were tested ?in situ? in a 6-inch insulated downlight housing that was mounted in a 24×24-inch insulated enclosure in accord with the Underwriters Laboratory Standard for Safety for Luminaires (UL1598). The report provides the photometric performance results and compares these results to similar products that use conventional light sources in addition to results from earlier Caliper testing.Downlight results

In general, the eleven LED retrofit downlights performed substantially better than halogen or incandescent downlights. The LED light output ranged between 527 and 803 lm, making them comparable to 60 to 100W incandescent downlights or 13 to 32W CFL downlights. For most of the LED products tested, the efficacy was equal to or better than the system efficacy for a typical CFL downlight luminaire, with a range of 39 to 69 lm/W.

Ten of the eleven products met the Energy Star criteria for CRI and CCT. The measured CRIs were not quite as high as some previously tested LED downlight retrofit units, but would be acceptable for most applications according to the report.

The report concluded that the Series 14 LED downlight retrofit units are a viable option for specifiers of residential and commercial downlights, especially in retrofit situations. The products are best suited for use at normal ceiling‐height applications (8?10 ft). A future report on the Series 14 downlights will discuss differences between in-situ testing results and standalone testing results as well as make comparisons with manufacturer?s claims.

DOE application reports

Beginning in 2012, each Caliper summary report focuses on a single product type or application. With previous summary reports, typically a variety of product types were covered. For instance, Report 13 included test results from?LED and benchmark high-bay luminaires, LED wallpack luminaires and LED and benchmark 2×2-foot troffers.

The DOE has selected particular products for testing with the intent of capturing the current state of the market, a cross section ranging from expected low- to high-performing products, with the bulk characterizing the average of the range.

Detailed test results for each downlight unit included in the Series 14 report will be available soon through the searchable?online Caliper system. About the Author Laura Peters?is the Senior Technical Editor of?LEDs Magazine. ]]> http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?feed=rss2&p=814 0 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=811 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=811#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:39:17 +0000 admin http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=811 April 26, 2012…The U.S. Department of Energy published the April 2012 version of the Solid-State Lighting R&D Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). The report provides a description of the activities the Department plans to undertake over the next several years to implement its SSL mission, and informs the development of annual SSL R&D funding opportunities.

The MYPP reviews SSL technology status and trends for both LEDs and organic LEDs (OLEDs) and provides an overview of the current DOE SSL R&D project portfolio. The DOE made significant updates to the Technology Research and Development Plan including: revising efficiency projections, priorities, task descriptions, and metrics to align DOE targets with progress made to date and industry trends.

The DOE expanded projections for efficacy to include estimates of likely trends and limits for both phosphor-converted LEDs and color-mixed LEDs. The pc-LED discussion was reportedly updated to consider optimization of phosphors, one of the R&D directions. Additional discussions of hybrid solutions, the effects of low or high current drive, and other design variables were added. The DOE notes that the studies of cost and price trends were also updated. The proposed R&D priorities were explored in?two sets of roundtables?held in late 2011 as well as in breakout sessions held during the?2012 SSL R&D Workshop?in Atlanta.

According to the R&D plan’s preface, which is signed by James R. Brodick,?“This year’s update highlights continuing progress on more energy efficient lighting, with especially promising advances in luminaire products that are reliable, useful, and cost effective. Most of the rapidly growing market is for LED products, but OLEDs have made significant advances as well, with a number of new (albeit expensive) products now available on the market.”

The DOE indicated that it will continue to update the MYPP on an annual basis, with input from industry partners and workshop attendees, to incorporate new analysis, progress, and new research priorities as science evolves. To download a PDF of the 2012 MYPP, go to?www.ssl.energy.gov/techroadmaps.html.

The end of the plan’s preface noted,?“Advances notwithstanding, the report also highlights remaining opportunities for further improvements. As in the past, DOE expects to issue competitive solicitations?the Core Technology Solicitation and the Product Development Solicitation?based on this plan, and closely focused on your consensus as to the most important priorities in the near term.”

Courtesy LighTimes

They noted that the low-price direct-type LED TVs are thicker and have lower backlighting chip counts in hope to further decrease their price difference with CCFL TVs. Digitimes are so says that industry insiders have predicted that the market penetration rate will move towards 60-70% if 32-inch models can be promoted well enough into the market, added the sources.

As an example, LG Electronics promotes a low-end 32- and a 42-inch direct-type LED TV, with the 32 inch priced at NT$17,900 (USD$600). But the vendor still offers CCFL sets that have the same dimensions at prices about NT$4,000 lower than their LED equivalents. LG stated even though the price gap between its LED and CCFL TVs is still obvious, price drops will be determined by the level of acceptance of LED TVs in the market.

LG reportedly revealed to Digitimes that Samsung already has plans to replace its TVs that use CCFL panels with LED backlit ones. Therefore LED panel prices will end up dropping during the second half of this year, causing TV prices to have as low as a 10% difference in pricing, LG added.

Courtesy

LIGHTimes News Staff

According to the report, there were 39.9 million SSL A-lamps (A19 lamps with a legacy Edison base) sold globally in 2011. Strategies Unlimited analyst Katya Evstratyeva said that Japan led the way in consuming LED A-lamps with 24.7 million of the global total. The Japanese?Eco-point program?was in part responsible for the high market numbers, but Evstratyeva said other factors such as environmental concerns and high prices in compact-fluorescent lamps (CFLs) contributed as well.

Linear lamps

Perhaps surprisingly, the market for LED-based linear fluorescent replacement lamps was strong globally as well. Strategies Unlimited reports 19.3 million units sold with 41% of those sales coming in China, 21% in Japan, and only 18% combined in the US and the European Union.

Evstratyeva noted that an obstacle to more linear lamp sales is the?DOE testing?that has documented lower light output for LED-based replacements relative to fluorescent lamps. Evstratyeva said, “LED-tube-retrofit projects are taking place only when project owners are willing to forego the light output for the sake of energy savings.”

China is a perfect example of a case where energy savings drove sales said Evstratyeva. Rising electricity rates and longer working hours in commercial and industrial applications make energy efficiency a top concern.

We at?LEDs Magazine?have seen an uptick in use of linear LED lamps of late that indicates newer products are closing the gap in terms of light output. Recent projects at?Pasadena City College, a?San Diego restaurant called Hodad’s, and an?Air New Zealand facility?all were bullish on the technology.

Price declines

The Strategies Unlimited report does temper the positive across the retrofit lamp market with some concerns. The firm is forecasting a 14% annual decline in the average selling price of LED-based lamps. That price drop can help spur growth but reduces the total sales numbers and in some cases profit margin.

The firm noted that an oversupply of LEDs could continue to benefit lamp manufacturers targeting lower prices. But most of that oversupply is in backlighting LEDs, and those components aren’t ideal for general-illumination products, although some manufacturers are using them in low-cost, low-light-output products. About the Author Maury Wright?is the Editor of?LEDs Magazine. ]]> http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?feed=rss2&p=806 0 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=803 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=803#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:35:42 +0000 admin http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=803 Effective April 1, the Energy Star Luminaires V1.1 specification requires that any luminaire bearing the Energy Star mark must be third-party certified to the new performance levels. As of April 1, the Energy Star Luminaires specification has officially taken effect. Any luminaire products must be third-party certified to meet the Luminaires V1.1 performance levels in order to bear the Energy Star certification mark.The Luminaires V1.1 spec combines the scope of two previously separate specifications, the Solid State Lighting Luminaires v1.1 spec and the Residential Light Fixtures V4.2 spec. Luminaires that were previously certified under these other specifications must be recertified under the Luminaires spec.

Matching test to luminaire

As Alex Baker, Energy Star lighting program manager, outlined in a recent presentation at LEDucation in March, whether a luminaire is directional or non-directional determines how it is going to be tested. For instance, directional luminaires are typically functional luminaires such as down lights, accent lights and under-cabinet lights. Such products are tested using luminaire photometry according to the IES LM-79, including fixture optical losses (i.e., luminaire lm/W).

Non-directional or decorative luminaires such as wall sconces, chandeliers and bath vanities are photometrically tested according to the newly published IES LM-82, determining such metrics as the source efficacy in lm/W. LM-82, the IES-approved method for ?Characterization of LED Light Engines and LED Lamps for Electrical and Photometric Properties as a Function of Temperature,? is designed to assist luminaire manufacturers in selecting LED light engines and integrated LED lamps for their products, particularly decorative luminaires like chandeliers which cannot be easily measured with LM-79. Baker stated that to date, Energy Star has qualified over 1000 luminaires.

Readers of?LEDs Magazine?will recall that the EPA?postponed the effective date for the Luminaires specification?from October 1, 2011 to April 1, 2012 in order to allow Energy Star manufacturing partners and EPA-recognized certification bodies and laboratories the necessary time to appropriately apply the technical requirements contained in the new specification, while in the interim maintaining a sufficient selection of Energy Star qualified fixtures for consumers. The new spec can be downloaded atwww.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_specs.luminaires.

Energy Star streamlines testing

The new specification is essentially designed to streamline the testing process for luminaires. For instance, the sample size required for photometric testing of directional luminaires has been reduced from three units to one. A minimum of one sample instead of three is likewise required for the in-situ temperature test for lumen maintenance of solid-state lighting (SSL) products. The spec also reduces sample-size requirements for LM-80 lumen maintenance testing to be consistent with the recommendation made by the TM-21 working group. TM-21 allows the long-term?lumen maintenance projection of LED sources?using LM-80 data.

Other changes to the Luminaires specification include an expansion of the allowable mounting variations for outdoor luminaires. The spec has added a directional fixture type for ventilation fans with a down light. Finally, minor adjustments have been made to the methods of measurement and reference documents regarding testing requirements for off-state power consumption and solid-state electromagnetic and radio interference to avoid unnecessary test burden.

Next steps

According to Baker, the EPA is currently working on Draft 2 of the Energy Star Lamps V1.0 specification, which is expected to be finalized this year and will go into effect in 2013. Like the Luminaires specification, the Lamps spec combines two other specifications, the Integral LED Lamps (V1.4) and Compact Fluorescent Lamps (V4.3) specifications. About the Author Laura Peters?is the Senior Technical Editor of?LEDs Magazine. ]]> http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?feed=rss2&p=803 0 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=800 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=800#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:26:12 +0000 admin http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=800 11 Apr 2012 The DOE has added two optional metrics to the Lighting Facts label, indication of a warranty and a lumen maintenance metric. In a recent DOE newsletter, the SSL Postings, Jim Brodrick, the US Department of Energy?s (DOE?s) lighting program manager explained enhancements that have been made to the LED Lighting Facts label. The label displays verified LM-79 product data including five parameters: light output in lumens, efficacy in lm/W, power required in W, correlated color temperature in K, and color rendering index. Now manufacturers can provide two additional metrics: an indication of warranty (yes/no) and lumen maintenance estimates based on LM-80 and TM-21 projections. 

Brodrick noted that there is still no agreed-upon way to measure or report lifetime for solid-state lighting (SSL) products. However, in recognition of the purchaser?s need to know an expected life for an SSL product, the DOE arrived at the use of LED lumen maintenance, consistent with TM-21 and based on LM-80 measurements, as an indicator of product stability.The decision was made not to use lumen maintenance in terms of L70, the point at which light output falls below 70 percent of initial levels, because the results may be misinterpreted as lifetime values. Instead, the metric will identify the remaining useful percentage of initial output projected to be reached any of three fixed points in time, after 25,000, 15,000 or 10,000 hours, which the manufacturer can select.

Regarding the warranty, the manufacturer can choose to list ?yes? if a warranty is available. The DOE has indicated that listing a number of years associated with the warranty could also be misleading because different components in the product could be covered for different periods. For products with a “yes” designation for warranty, LED Lighting Facts has added the ability to link to the manufacturer’s warranty directly from the products list.

The two new listings are optional. To date, over 4750 products are carrying the DOE?s Lighting Facts label.

It is important to differentiate the DOE Lighting Facts label from the FTC Lighting Facts label. The latter has been required on all medium screw-based bulbs sold to consumers since January 1, 2012. That label lists light output (lm), required power (W), appearance (CCT), presence of mercury, a lifetime estimate in years (based on 3 hours of usage per day) and energy cost ($/yr based on 3 hr/day, $.11/kWh). About the Author Laura Peters?is the Senior Technical Editor of?LEDs Magazine. ]]> http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?feed=rss2&p=800 0 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=798 http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=798#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:09:01 +0000 admin http://olinet.com/light-measurement-education/?p=798 April 12, 2012…The price gap between low-cost direct-type LED TVs and CCFL models will shrink to 10% this year, according to a recent Digitimes?article?which sited industry sources with the prediction. Digitimes revealed that the sources said their expectations of direct-type LED TVs to drop in price have not been met yet, but that their prices will drop. In this way the article says that LED TV suppliers have an improved chance of overtaking CCFL sets in sales.

They noted that the low-price direct-type LED TVs are thicker and have lower backlighting chip counts in hope to further decrease their price difference with CCFL TVs. Digitimes are so says that industry insiders have predicted that the market penetration rate will move towards 60-70% if 32-inch models can be promoted well enough into the market, added the sources.

As an example, LG Electronics promotes a low-end 32- and a 42-inch direct-type LED TV, with the 32 inch priced at NT$17,900 (USD$600). But the vendor still offers CCFL sets that have the same dimensions at prices about NT$4,000 lower than their LED equivalents. LG stated even though the price gap between its LED and CCFL TVs is still obvious, price drops will be determined by the level of acceptance of LED TVs in the market.

LG reportedly revealed to Digitimes that Samsung already has plans to replace its TVs that use CCFL panels with LED backlit ones. Therefore LED panel prices will end up dropping during the second half of this year, causing TV prices to have as low as a 10% difference in pricing, LG added.

Courtesy LighTimes