Global Demand for Indoor LED Lighting Is Expected to Take off in 2012

Global demand for indoor LED lighting is expected to take off in 2012, with retail prices for LED light bulbs to replace 40W incandescent bulbs expected to drop from an average of US$22 at the end of 2011 to US$10 in the Asia market in the first half of 2012 and those for models to replace 60W incandescent bulbs to fall from an average of over US$30 at the end of 2011 to US$12-15 in mid-2012, according to industry sources in Taiwan. Demand for LED lighting is growing quickly in the Japan market, with the proportion of all light bulbs for LED bulbs rising to 37% and that of all tube lamps for LED light tubes to 40% in December 2011, the sources cited GfK Japan as indicating. At the end of 2011, Japan retail prices for LED light bulbs to replace 40W and 60W incandescent bulbs slipped to below US$20 and about US$40 respectively on average, the sources noted. Due to intensive competition from Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, South Korea retail prices for LED light bulbs to replace 40W and 60W incandescent bulbs dropped to the world's lowest levels of US$11-13 and US$18 respectively at the end of 2011, the sources pointed out. In the Europe market, retail prices for LED light bulbs to replace 40W incandescent bulbs stood at about US$30, the sources indicated. The US retail prices for LED light bulbs to replace 40W and 60W incandescent bulbs remained at US$22-24 and US$30 respectively at the end of 2011, the sources noted. As LED light bulbs to replace 60W incandescent bulbs are regarded as the mainstream lumen levels, market attention to drops in price will shift from LED light bulbs to replace 40W incandescent bulbs to those to replace 60W ones, the sources pointed out. Source: www.digitimes.com