As power utilities in the US have offered subsidies for LED lighting products with Energy Star certification and the European Union will lower RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive maximum mercury content from 5mg to 3mg for conventional lamps of below 30W by the end of 2017, the replacement of conventional lighting with LED lighting has picked up speed in the US and Europe markets, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
After the subsidization from power utilities, the average retail price for an Energy Star-certified LED light bulb in place of a 40W incandescent bulb in the US market is only US$3.99 and that for a 60W-equivalent LED light bulb stands at US$5-6, the sources said.
Taiwan-based Unity Opto Technology in July 2014 started production of new LED light bulb models in compliance with new Energy Star standards and has shipped two million such bulbs to the US, the company indicated.
