LEDs lighten rooms, cars, TVs and other low energy or high reliability situations

Despite relatively high costs, LED lighting systems are a coveted special accessory amongst car buyers. In addition to the safety aspects, LED lights significantly enhance the look of a new vehicle and are therefore an absolute essential for many people. Light design with LEDs not only plays an increasingly important role in the automotive industry, but in many other areas as well.

In the automotive sector, many fields of application are still immature for LEDs and penetration of the market is imminent. At present, the market share for the overall LED lighting market is around 19 percent, with a volume of EUR 13 billion. Nowadays, car indicators, daytime running lights, brake lights and reverse lights adorn and use LEDs. And when daytime running lights became compulsory for new vehicles in the EU this year, another growth driver was presented. The aim of some  manufacturers producing LEDs is to become established in the area of front headlights as well, where the price-performance ratio is still improving.

According to business consultancy firm McKinsey the current European market for LED lighting is around EUR 1 Billion. General Lighting is the largest segment with a very high percentage of new products introduced based on LED. Retail and Architectural applications follow with the performance, reliability and design flexibility being the main advantages and along with outdoor lighting McKinsey predict the largest growth in this area until 2020. Finally industrial and office applications currently exhibit the weakest growth due to existing significant investments in traditional technology such as fluorescent, perhaps providing the best opportunity for innovation.

LEDs have spent the longest period of time being used as backlighting. Manufacturers have been fitting mobile device displays with LEDs since the end of the 1990s. After mobile phones, larger products like laptops and TVs were gradually fitted with LED backlights, which was very beneficial to the overall development of the LED in the lighting market. With a market share of around 6 percent, the backlighting market should have reached a global volume of EUR 4 billion in 2010. According to McKinsey, it will be possible to maintain this level up to 2016. After this, conventional LEDs will be increasingly replaced with organic LEDs (OLEDs), which are made of organic semiconductor materials and do not require monocrystalline semiconductors.

LED lighting systems are not just stylish but are also very energy efficient and robust. Their low power consumption makes for strong market growth in the energy-conscious climate of Europe. For example, virtually all conventional bulbs will be banned from 2012 for energy-saving reasons. At present, halogen bulbs still provide an alternative, but the superior quality of the LEDs and the continuously falling prices level out the long-term success of LEDs. Manufacturers, system providers and retailers can adapt themselves to a multi-layered clientele in the broadest industries.

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