LED lighting standardization pushed

Makers of LED packaging in Taiwan are pushing for standardization in a bid to promote industry growth and product innovation further. This is at the back of the rising trend for solid state lighting. To achieve this goal, suppliers are aiming for a consistent platform that will cover design, manufacturing and testing. The objective extends to laboratory accreditation as well.

In addition to product development, regulation and a unified testing benchmark will help ensure public safety, provide consumer protection, monitor energy consumption and address various environmental issues.

At present, high brightness, color rendering and wall plug efficiency for demanding LED lighting applications are difficult to meet due to the limitations posed by commercially available diode packages.

The island’s LED packaging market reached almost $2 billion last year, accounting for about 20 percent of the world’s total, according to Taiwan’s Photonics Industry and Technology Development Association. The island ranks second to Japan in the line.

To protect and expand this gain, suppliers hope to penetrate mainland China’s general illumination sector. They are now cooperating with mainland counterparts to establish a common system. Although still at cross-company level, many hope the efforts will draw more support from the mainland and Taiwan administrations for mutually beneficial opportunities.

Makers in Taiwan, in particular, are eyeing Greater China’s Ten Thousand LED Lights in Ten Cities project, which is entering its second phase in 2010. The areas tapped to become demonstration sites will be increased from 21 to 50.

As this venture requires about 2 million diode-based lights, makers in the island hope that a cross-strait standard test and certification cooperation will generate business for both sides.

The Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan and Beijing-based National Lighting Test Center are expected to reach an agreement to recognize LED tests conducted by either laboratories, according to the island’s Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Taiwan has more than 100 LED packaging designers, including publiclisted companies and small and midsize enterprises. Advanced Optoelectronic, Bright LED, Lite-On and Everlight are among the major players.