Surge in LED demand, but still a long way to go

LiquidLEDs Lighting has introduced Liquid Immersed Thermal Management Solution (LITMS), a liquid solution that encapsulates the diode, effectively eliminating heat-caused problems. LiquidLEDs has also introduced another design which combines the engineering found in incandescent light bulbs with new LED innovations. The company has an extensive range of ‘LED filament bulbs’, which features a filament of LEDs - similar to the old filaments found in incandescent bulbs.

The surge in demand of energy-efficient solutions, for both residential and commercial lighting, is encouraging lighting manufacturers to create products which use a mere fraction of the energy consumed by the conventional incandescent bulb - an invention which is more than a hundred years old.

Governments around the world have responded in a similar manner, passing legislation that mandates manufacturers to follow specific energy-efficiency standards. But even without the legislation, the demand for low-energy lighting solutions is growing. The Australian government has already made efforts to phase out some incandescent bulbs in 2009, which has resulted in a shift towards compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). However, a growing number of consumers have expressed concerns about the dangers of mercury, a substance found in all fluorescent lamps and bulbs. And this, in turn, has generated increased interest in LED or solid-state lighting systems, as well as other energy-saving alternatives.

In 2008, there was an obvious decrease in demand for LED or solid-state lighting systems, largely due to the global recession. However, as economies all over the world began to recover, demand for LEDs underwent a dramatic increase, as companies like Samsung, LG and Sony introduced LED-backlit televisions. This has resulted in a massive surge of LED lighting products on the market - a trend that continues.

While it might be easy to conclude that an LED lighting revolution is now underway, LiquidLEDs believes it will take some time before the mainstream public fully adopts LED lighting systems. This is due to the fact that high-quality systems are offered at relatively higher acquisition costs. Another factor that’s working against any future change is the proliferation of low-quality lighting systems which may seem cheap at first but will eventually cost more in the long run - not to mention the fact that they have mercury, which is naturally poisonous. Industry analysts also point out that real market penetration always takes time, especially when new standards are put in place to replace ageing and obsolete ones.

By Michael Moskvin, Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, LiquidLEDs Lighting