Nov 4, 2014 ---- The global LED lighting market will reach $25.7 billion dollars and its market penetration will increase to 31% in 2015 as the overall lighting market grows to $82.1 billion, according to a new report by LEDinside, a division of the Taiwan-based market intelligence firm TrendForce.

The LED packaging industry’s value is anticipated to only rise an estimated 3.2% on-year in 2015, from this year's US$14.6 billion to US$15 billion, according to the latest “Global LED package Industry Report” released by LEDinside, a division of Taiwan based market intelligence firm TrendForce. “With growth in the LED package market slowing and competitive pressure coming from China, the LED industry will face some major challenges next year,” said Roger Chu, research director at LEDinside. 

U.S. sapphire furnace and sapphire manufacturer GTAT, the primary sapphire supplier to Apple, filed for bankruptcy on October 6. As of September 29, GTAT reported having US $85 million in cash. Under the $578 million multi-year agreement GTAT and Apple signed last November, GTAT must supply a certain volume of sapphire ingots to Apple while Apple was to pay GTAT in four installments with the final $139 million payment scheduled for the end of October. But low sapphire yield rates have made Apple withhold the last payment. Additionally, GTAT lost an American Arbitration Association (AAA) lawsuit against Taiwanese sapphire manufacturer Tera Xtal Technology in August. AAA ruled GTAT should return payment totaling $ 24 million for faulty sapphire crystal growth furnaces, which greatly strained the firm’s finances.

Philips announced on Sept. 23, 2014, it would separate its health care and lighting businesseses into a twonew companies, each ofy which would continue to leverage the Philips brand.

The global average sales price (ASP) for LED bulbs declined by 1.8 percent in August as the market stabilized, according to LEDinside, a subsidiary of the Taiwan-based market intelligence firm TrendForce. Regionally, LED bulb prices declined the most in Japan.

Loyal Apple fans have probably started the countdown to Sept. 9, 2014, when the company will be unveiling the much anticipated iPhone 6 at Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, California, U.S. Staying true to its secretive nature, the company’s press conference invitation uses the catchy phrase “Wish we could say more.” With less than one week left on the clock, many in the industry believe Apple will be showcasing the iPhone 6, 12.9-inch iPads and iWatches at the event. 

The residential LED lighting market will grow at a 30% clip from 2014-2016, according to LEDinside, a subsidiary of the Taiwan-based market intelligence firm TrendForce.

In the third quarter, when LED market activity typically slows, LED backlighting prices declined an average of 3-8% as demand fell. Meanwhile, LED demand for lighting applications remained flat, but price competition in the overall LED market, remained fierce, as prices fell 6-12%, according to LEDinside, a subsidiary of the Taiwan-based market intelligence firmTrendForce. Price competition in the overall LED market, meanwhile, remained fierce, as prices fell 6-12%. 

The LED package market value reached US $13 billion in 2013, in which LEDs for TV backlight amounted to 20 percent, according to LEDinside’s latest “LED Residential Lighting and Backlight Market Trend” report. LED backlighting have almost completely replaced all CCFL light sources in TV backlight, however, with market penetration rates reaching a pinnacle the market faces threats of market saturation. Below are five major trends in the LED backlighting market:

The new agreement between leading U.S. LED manufacturer Cree and Taiwan electronics firm Lextar, which stipulates Cree will invest $US 83 million in the Taiwanese firm, comes as a surprise, according to LEDinside, a subsidiary of the Taiwan-based market research firm TrendForce. Under the agreement, Cree and Lextar will also cooperate on LED chip supply and royalty-bearing licenses for certain Cree LED chips. 

LED bulb prices stabilized in July 2014, according to a latest report from LEDinside, a research subdivision of TrendForce. The research organization noted, in general the global market underwent small price fluctuations. Only a few markets had seen large price fluctuations because of sales promotions, and overall bulb prices declined the most in Germany.

A University of Utah team discovered a method for turning a small, US $40 needle into a 3-D microscope capable of taking images up to 70 times smaller than the width of a human hair. This new method not only produces high-quality images comparable to expensive microscopes, but may be implanted into the brains of living mice for imaging at the cellular level.

The quickly spreading LED lighting market has attracted international manufacturers to enter China’s LED package market, according to the latest “China’s LED Package Industry Market Report 2014” by LEDinside, a subdivision of global market research organization TrendForce. In 2013, the Chinese LED package market value was up 20% Year-on-Year (YoY) to US$7.2 billion. Top 10 ranking manufacturers in the industry clinched a combined market share of 43.6%. 

Despite Apple’s plans of launching the iPhone 6 in late 2014, optical demands in handheld devices failed to generate price upticks in the sapphire substrate industry, according to LEDinside, a research subdivision of market-research organization TrendForce. 

Price falls were most evident in China last quarter, according to latest LED bulb retail price reports by LEDinside, a research division of TrendForce. Globally, the 40W equiv. LED bulbs Average Selling Price (ASP) grew incrementally by 0.9 percent to US $14.4, while ASP for 60W equiv. LED bulbs was slightly down by 0.6% to US $19.4 in June 2014.

Global shipment proportions for Chinese TV brands are increasing yearly, with the possibility to reach 28 percent in 2014, according to the latest China LED Package Industry Market Report from LEDinside, a division of research organization TrendForce. Six Chinese TV brands will benefit the most from domestic demands in 2014. LED manufacturers beginning to pay more attention to opportunities in this market segment due to low in-house LED production capacity of Chinese TV brands and low strategic alliance among LED manufacturers. The supply chain for Chinese TV brands has started to change. Once reliant on Taiwanese and Korean LEDs, Chinese package manufacturers is starting to change as price competition heats up and technology matures. 

The global high brightness LED market scale reached US $14.4 billion this year and is estimated to increase to US $16.6 billion by 2018, with a compound growth rate of 4%, according to “2014 LED Supply and Demand Data Base” by LEDinside, a LED research division of TrendForce. The LED package market value for lighting applications will reach US $4.88 billion and maintain market share of 34%. 

Strong LED market demands this year have led to patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) manufacturers expanded production capacity, according to “2014 Global Sapphire Substrate Market Report” by LEDinside, a LED research division of TrendForce. The 4-inch PSS market current supply shortage situation was mostly caused by Taiwanese and Chinese LED chip manufacturers introduction of large volume PSS into products, and manufacturers shift towards 4-inch PSS production. However, since manufacturers are expected to expand PSS production by the end of the year, tightened market supply conditions are expected to ease. 

During the first half of 2014, China’s LED industry kept up high growth rates, a trend extended from 2013. Industry insiders have reached a consensus that LED lighting demands will propel this trend well into 2016. Related industries have started production expansion, talent headhunt, and distribution channels establishment. These companies have stuck it out during the LED industry’s initial restructure phase, and do not want to miss out on the exponentially growing LED lighting market.

Taiwan-based manufacturers Epistar and FOREPI today announced merge plans. Through conversion of shares, FOREPI will become a 100 percent fully owned subsidy of Epistar. The trend of acquisitions within the LED industry will continue in 2014, observed LEDinside, a research division of TrendForce. Epistar’s merger with FOREPI will improve production capacity, cost management, as well as client and product integration. After the merge, the two companies will also be able to jointly resist market threats from Chinese LED chip manufacturer San’an Optoelectronics (San’anOpto). 

Chinese LED package manufacturers sales performance in 2013 was mediocre, the LED package market value was up slightly by 16 percent due to plunging prices, according to the latest “2014 Chinese Package Industry Market Report” by LEDinside, a research division of TrendForce. 

Apple’s iWatch to be released in late 2014 will be using sapphire watch covers, according to the latest “2014 Global Sapphire Market Report” by LEDinside, a research division of TrendForce. iWatch sapphire watch covers are expected to account for six percent of global sapphire market demands, the research organization projected.

Global LED commercial lighting market penetration rate this year soared, with growth projected to reach 23% by the end of the 2014, according to the latest “2Q14 Silver Member- Commercial Lighting Market” by LEDinside a research division of TrendForce.   

LED price for lighting applications have dropped around 3-7 percent in 2Q14. Similarly, backlight-use LED prices have also seen a decline, dipping around 5-10 percent, with direct-type TV backlight-use LEDs decreasing by 13 percent due to fierce market competition, according to the recent price report from LEDinside, the green energy research division of TrendForce.

May 27, 2014---The Chinese LED market has seen a rapid rise in demands. Expansion plans by several LED chip manufacturers boosted sapphire substrate demands. Sapphire substrate manufacturers are speeding up Chinese market strategies, due to high tariffs and emergence of Chinese LED chip manufacturers, according to the latest “2014 Global Sapphire Substrate Market Report” by LEDinside, a research division of TrendForce.

May 15, 2014---LED chip market scale reached RMB 9 billion (US$1.45 billion) in China in 2013, a YoY of 16%, according to the latest “2014 Chinese LED Package Industry Market Report” by LEDinside, a research division of TrendForce. 

China’s LED package industry market scale reached US $7.2 billion in 2013, up 20 percent from the year before, according to the recent “2014 China Package Industry Market Report” from LEDinside, a green energy research division of TrendForce. China has become the largest manufacturer of LED products. Rapidly increasing LED lighting penetration rate is driving up LED component demand volume, making China the most contended market among LED package manufacturers.

As Taiwan becomes embroiled in nuclear energy debates, pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear activists are becoming focused on alternative energy solutions and energy saving benefits. Taiwan could cut 45% of energy consumption by simply overhauling current luminaires with LEDs, resulting in lower power consumption and redistribute energy resources, according to a joint study by TrendForce research divisions LEDinside and EnergyTrend.  Considerable energy can be conserved from the lighting sector’s transformation alone, based on the research organization’s analysis of LED lights energy efficiency benefits, international market experience, and related statistics in Taiwan.

Out of sapphire substrate non-LED applications, mobile devices have shown strongest demands, according to “2014 Global Sapphire Substrate Market Report” by LEDinside, a research division of TrendForce. Sapphire substrate non-LED application is projected to reach 32% this year, with mobile device applications taking a 21% share, said LEDinside.

For the cool white NPW LEDs, the spectrum is similar to the conventional white LEDs obtained from the blue LEDs combined with yellow phosphors. The blue emission originates from the upper sidewalls of nanopyramids, and yellow light is mainly emitted from the lower ridges with respect to the base of nanopyramids.