Market Revenue for LED Drivers in General Lighting to Triple

Global revenue for light-emitting diode (LED) drivers used in general lighting applications will more than triple from 2012 to 2015 as the market for solid-state illumination booms, according a new report entitled “LED Driver ICs – World – 2013” from IMS Research, now part of IHS. The market governing LED driver integrated circuits (ICs) for lighting will surge to $666 million USD in 2015, up from $214 million in 2012, as shown in the figure. Growth will moderate somewhat during the following years but revenue is expected to continue to expand, reaching $810 million in 2018.

According to Stephanie Pruitt, light and LEDs analyst for IHS, major advances and cost reductions in lamps, luminaires and automotive lighting are spurring the rapid growth of the market for LEDs in general lighting applications. This, in turn, is generating major opportunities for LED driver ICs.

An LED driver is a power supply designed to suit the electrical characteristics of an LED or an array of LEDs. The residential sector represents the greatest opportunity for growth in the LED lighting driver market. Homes have the largest number of sockets available for LED bulbs. The most common form factor for residential solar led light is the classic A-type lamp (i.e., the pear-shaped bulb used since early in the 20th century). Also popular is the MR16 type of bulb used for directional lighting. Other major opportunities for LED drivers in general illumination lie in the retail as well as the street/parking light markets.

As growth ramps up in general lighting, the rate of expansion, however, is slowing in some areas. For instance, cell phone display backlighting has become a saturated market, while television and signage backlighting now are growing at a slower pace. Computer and office equipment is still generating some respectable growth, mainly due to the boom in tablet devices. LED driver IC suppliers such as Macroblock, Texas Instruments and Skyworks continue to dominate in their respective markets. However, many companies that once concentrated on these sectors have seen flat or declining revenue. These companies, along with new entrants, are switching focus to the increasingly important lighting sector.

The lamp uses Chroma White Technology, which for the first time uses wireless colour tuning. Using a smart device like an iPod, it can be wirelessly programmed to alter the colour temperature from 2200K to 6500K. It has been explained that “The spectral distribution of light can also be adjusted to stimulate the circadian rhythm in the same way daylight would.”

Renowned for their LED tape lights and strip lights, Simple Lighting provides a range of domestic and commercial lighting solutions. Heavily involved in the LED industry for a number of years, the specialists are often approached by customers looking to save money through the energy efficient lights. A representative shares their thoughts on the recent news.

We have seen so many breakthroughs and progressions recently in the LED industry, but it’s important that there are solid efforts such as this, to help get them onto the market and accessible for the average person.

“We’re not surprised the DECC are providing a grant to make this happen, as LEDs are so much more environment friendly than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. This is largely due to the fact that they only lose 20% of their energy to heat compared to 80%.”

Established in 2009, Simple Lighting Company aims to provide high quality lighting at some of the most competitive prices on the web. The company has grown considerably in recent years and supplies over 4000 products, specialising in LED lighting, LED tape lights, LED strip lights as well as indoor and outdoor lighting. Simple Lighting Company considers customer service its priority, regularly adding new products to the website.