How can LED light sources enter the general lighting market?

Liang Bingwen Suzhou Najing Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology and Nano-Bionics

【Abstract】 This paper describes the development status of LED light source technology and products. It compares the performance, price and cost performance of LED light source with traditional light source and analyzes it. The article points out that although LED is a new type of light source, it is almost necessary to go through traditional market channels for products used in traditional markets, and for new application markets and products, it is possible to establish and enter new markets through new channels.

【Key words】: LED light source; general illumination; market channel

As a new and most promising light source, LED has attracted more and more attention. LEDs have only been used as an ordinary indicator light in the early days, and have been used in home appliances such as televisions and recorders. Today, they are widely used as outdoor displays, traffic signals, car taillights, and landscape lighting, as well as street lighting that is beginning. And the large-size LCD backlight source has experienced almost 20-30 years, and its rapid development is obvious to all. In particular, the expectation that LEDs will enter the general lighting market in 5-10 years is affecting countless exciting hearts. Many people with lofty ideals want to contribute in this respect or participate in the torrent of history. It is precisely because of a large amount of manpower and material resources that LED lighting technology and the market have developed very rapidly in recent years. This article will briefly describe the recent development of LEDs, focusing on LED as an illumination source to compare the price, performance and cost performance with traditional light sources, and analyze and explain how LED light sources enter the general lighting market.

LED lighting technology and product status

The research and development indicators for high-power LEDs have reached 161 lumens/W, while the LED effects of production LEDs are mostly in the range of 80-120 lumens. Lighting products include not only LEDs, but also drive and luminaire parts. At present, the price of LED lighting is very high. Taking the three-watt LED cup lamp as an example, the luminous flux is 120-200 lumens, and the price is nearly 80-100 yuan. The average halogen cup lamp, 20W luminous flux is about 320 lumens, and the price is about 2-10 dollars.

Comparison of LED light source and traditional light source

One of the biggest weaknesses of LEDs as lighting products is the almost linear relationship between luminous flux and cost. This makes the LED light source costly in the high luminous flux range, and the cost performance is very low. Therefore, in the early stage of market promotion, the application market of low luminous flux should be considered first, such as the application demand of 200-800 lumens. The range of this luminous flux corresponds to an electrical power of approximately 3-15 W at the current level of LED efficacy.

How LED light sources enter the general lighting market

For the traditional lighting application market, LED light sources cannot escape the existing sales channels. Because no matter what kind of new light source you are, as long as the target customers are the same, the process of the product from the manufacturer to the user should be the same. What is currently considered the most is how to replace existing light sources, including incandescent lamps, cup lamps, compact fluorescent lamps and linear fluorescent lamps, and the sales channels of these light sources have been formed and fixed. Therefore, LED lights that replace these light sources must also go through these existing sales channels. The sales drivers for these channels are largely determined by price, reputation and service. The market channels of various lighting sources may be different. For the sales of indoor lighting products, the daily consumption products, such as energy-saving lamps, lamp cups, light bulbs, flashlights, etc., include dominant lighting channels, Building materials supermarkets, consumer supermarkets, convenience stores, hardware stores, network direct sales, etc., while invisible channels are property management companies (home and business), municipal companies, etc.; for home lighting products, such as ceiling lamps, wall lamps, table lamps Floor lamps, kitchen lamps, children's lamps, mirror lamps, low-power local lighting products (downlights, spotlights, grille spotlights), etc., its dominant channels include professional market, building materials supermarket, home appliance supermarket, furniture store, Online direct sales, while hidden channels are home improvement companies, group purchases (on-site promotion, online group purchase), electricians (installation company and decoration team), etc.; commercial lighting products, such as downlights, spotlights, grille lights, gold halide Lamps, etc., its explicit channels include professional markets, while hidden channels include home improvement companies, tooling companies, design institutes, electricians, property management (home and business), advertising , exhibition design company, lighting design company, etc.; functional lighting products, such as eye-protection lamps, Yuba lights, etc., eye-protection channels have professional channels, building materials supermarkets, consumer supermarkets, bookstores, optical shops, furniture stores, appliance stores , children's products store, school store, eye care products store, network direct sales, its hidden channels are eye hospitals, parent promotion meetings (joint health products promotion, such as back-back, myopia treatment instrument).

in conclusion

As an illumination source, LED is difficult to enter the mass market because of its high cost and longevity. However, with the support of the government, it is possible to do some government demonstration projects in the form of promotion projects to drive sales of products, such as the current streetlight projects. To develop the general lighting market, the first consideration should be the application of low luminous flux. When the technology is mature and the price is appropriate, the application market of high-light flux lighting fixtures will be promoted. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the understanding and acceptance of LED lighting sources by existing lighting channels, because most of the alternative light sources are to enter thousands of households through existing market channels.

[Author]: Dr. Liang Bingwen (born June 1961), male, Shandong Penglai, is currently the chairman of Suzhou Najing Technology Co., Ltd., and is a researcher at the Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Semiconductor optoelectronic materials and devices and LED lighting.