Factors limiting adoption of LED Lights

Hello Sanjay:

Let us first define the applications:

Control panels:  Already well established.

 Backlight for keyboards and mobile displays: Well established.

PC & TV Displays:

This is a very hot topic now and adoption is on a very steep curve.

In case of PC displays, the primary advantage is power consumptions but there are small image quality benefits as well.

In case of TVs, power is certainly an advantage but there is a very noticable video quality advantage.  In fact in my opinion, during the course of the next 2-3 years the video quality resulting from the use of LED backlights is the most significant improvement in LCD displays and practically the only one that will be meaningful to the untrained consumer.  This is a result of the ability to use an array of backlights for LCD TVs and control regions independently and based on the content in the specific region.  Within the next 2-3 years penetration of LED backlights in TVs will reach 35-40%.  Considering that LCD TV annual volume will be about 130-150Mu in this timeframe, and the fact that each TV will use an array consisting of 100s of LEDs, you can see the huge volume.

HBSLL

High brightness LEDs for general lighting is lagging behind.  State of the art LEDs for this purpose have already surpassed the efficiency (or technically, efficacy) of both incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. Lifetime of LED light is also much longer than normal light bulbs.  However, comparable cost of LED bulbs are very high and requires signifcant initial investment.  Therefore adoption is today limited to industrial, commercial and outdoors applications where cost of frequent bulb replacement is high.  According to the Dept. of Energy, penetration of LED lighting is less than 0.05% of the market.

 

 

Thank you Raphael for such a nice details!

With energy becoming ever more expensive and scarce, LEDs will finally find their way into our homes in near future. 

I agree with Raphael in all of his points except for the pricing. Yes, LED is priced much higher than conventional lighting, but when you factor in the savings over the lifespan of the  lamps, LED's become significantly less expensive. This is not to mention the many health benefits of switching from fluorescents. Its like ripping a band aid off rather than slowly peeling.... It hurts for a second, but then its over... Fluorescent lights waste money... Period. Now that there are alternatives out there to consider, LED'swill become ever more prevalent in businesses around the world. 

Many small business owners expect or hope SSL prices will come down to CFL level.  Until CREE cuts their LED prices by 90%, that's not going to happen.  CREE profit margin is below 5%.  They have no room for price cut.

SSL saves huge amount of electricity, labor and parts. Business people can choose to continue to pay their current high lighting cost or they can make an investment that returns 50-100%.  If they prefer paying more, that is certainly their choice.

 

SSL pay out its higher price through savings of electricity bills in few years and thus become less expensive then CFLs - but most of businessmen think about the interest they will have to pay on the money they invest in converting CFLs into SSL for those years and take back step to use SSL

I agree with all regards to the energy saving aspects of LED in the commercial world – BUT the biggest problem for adoption in this disruptive technology, there are many companies which never made there first light fixture or lamp source – lots of chippy type companies. Good Lighting design will always be about the art and science in creating pleasant and good results, people wanting to be in the space.  These new lighting companies are going to get 95% or the process right – i.e. good technology design etc but it is that last 5% which most are missing. That 5% involves the sale in the complex process of how this stuff is really sold -a confusing supply chain from initial design + specification + bidding + distribution + contractor + subcontractor + developer = Installation and warranty.  I feel this process will change over time but for right now to create sales and volume needs to be considered. The other problem we now have created throw away fixtures – I know they can last more the 50.0000 hours but what happens when a project of say 30 fixture one goes out – need to replace the lamp oops there is no lamp to replace – its been a year since fixture was purchased now the technology has changed and cant get that same look. Boy I can keep on & on.