March 16, 2012 — The global market for power semiconductors used in light-emitting diode (LED) lighting is forecast to reach over $3 billion in 2016, according to IMS Research.
Rapid LED lighting adoption, driven by energy awareness and government support, will lead to a $3+ billion power semiconductor market by 2016, shows "Opportunities for Power Components in LED Lighting," an IMS Research report. More than half of this market will come from retrofit LED lamps, which will contribute to more than $2 billion of the 2016 outlook.
The LED lamp market is projected to drive over $1.5 billion of AC-DC and DC-DC controllers and low power MOSFETs (used in solutions that use a controller with an external FET) in 2016. The expanding range of available lamps with varying electronics design, requirements and specifications are driving opportunities power semiconductor manufacturers. LED lighting systems require complex electronics, noted Ryan Sanderson, report co-author and senior market analyst. Most designs require power electronics experise, something many suppliers don’t currently have in-house.
LED luminaires present a huge opportunity for power semiconductor manufacturers. One of the largest projected LED lighting markets in 2016 is high-power (>60W) LED luminaires for street, industrial, and other lighting applications. These applications will drive a power discrete market of more than $1 billion by 2016, largely power MOSFETs and rectifiers sold to LED luminaire makers and merchant power supply manufacturers. Some of the largest LED lighting manufacturers can design and manufacture power circuitry in-house, but even these companies need the added knowledge and expertise of the power semiconductor industry, said report co-author and market analyst Jonathon Eykyn.
A large portion of the power supply opportunity in LED lighting (particularly in LED lamps) will be absorbed by these companies as they become more vertically integrated. However, the power semiconductor opportunity will likely remain separate and addressable to all power semiconductor manufacturers. Eykyn added, “The opportunity is likely to increase further as manufacturers begin to add higher levels of intelligence to their LED lighting products, offering additional functionality to the consumer and increasing energy efficiency.”
“Opportunities for Power Components in LED Lighting” includes analysis of 8 power semiconductor products in 13 LED lighting applications. IMS Research is a leading independent supplier of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry. Access reports at http://imsresearch.com.