Taiwan is focusing on solar power and AC light-emitting diodes (LED) as the main drivers of the nation’s green technology initiatives, and is seeking to become a world leader in AC light-emitting diodes (LED), according to the Taipei Times.

The AC LED Alliance of Taiwan, under the direction of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), is ready to submit the world’s first AC-powered LED technology standard proposal to the International Commission on Illumination.

Taiwan has already owned 80 patents on various AC LED innovations and is working closely with U.S. and German institutes and companies in this field.

“From upstream to downstream, we are strategically mapping our AC LED-related patents to avoid patent disputes because we don’t own the core technologies,” Ian Chan, vice president and director-general of ITRI’s Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories, said at a product exhibition in Taipei yesterday. “Out goal is to become the international leader in AC LED technology,” he said.

ITRI expects Taiwan’s AC LED industry to generate more than NT$60 billion (US$1.84 billion) by 2015.

Manufacturers including Liquidleds Lighting Corp, Everlight Electronic Light, Forward Electronics Co and Lustrous Technology Ltd were also present at the product exposition.

Epistar is Taiwan’s largest maker of LED and began shipping AC LED chips to downstream companies this quarter for mainstream mass manufacturing.

The AC LED is basically LED lighting that can operate on AC power without the need for a DC converter. It is low cost, compact in size and has no electrostatic discharges, said Epistar Corp executive assistant Wang Shi-wei. The AC LED effectively saves between 15 percent and 30 percent of electricity compared with regular LED. It can replace traditional light bulbs, incandescent tubes and halogen used in households, Wang said.