The US Department of Energy (DOE) had made a test in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois, in order to tell difference lighting performance, economic performance, and potential energy savings from LED lights and halogen lighting. Recently, DOE reported the final result.

It is estimated that the consumption value of LED which is used in SSL (solid state general lighting) reached US$497 million worldwide in 2010, and in 2019, the figure would go up to US$9.2 billion. In 2010, the LED applying in exterior general lighting such as the street, parking-lot, roadway-tunnels, bridges, landscaping, pool/fountain, buildings, architectural and other general lighting would account for 93% in the worldwide consumption. Looking into 2019, the share would decrease to 58.8% but the value would increase to US$5.4 billion.

In Taiwan, Neo-Neon was reported that it would introduce 14 new LED embedded lighting products in December. Recently, the company's own-brand LED light bulbs were distributed in retail outlets and hypermarkets and it expected LED lighting revenues in Taiwan would reach NT$20-30 million in 2011.

It was reported that Chimei Innolux (CMI) has pumped extra investment into GIO Optoelectronics to acquire a 30.67% stake in GIO. With  the additional investment, CMI has got 25.19 million shares to a total amount of NT$428 million (US$14.08 million).

It’s said that new power-efficiency standards for flat-panel TV in China will be implemented from Dec. 1. And it estimated that Taiwanese flat-panel display suppliers AU Optronics and Chimei Innolux Corp. will benefit from this new TV standard.

To tap into mainland China’s LED streetlight market, Taiwan’s auto-lamp maker TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd. will invest US$100 million in building LED streetlight factories in several cities of mainland. According to the company’s president, K.C. Chen, half of the money will be spent on the initial stage building in Kunshan facility, and the left funds will be used to build factories in several cities to assemble the lights.

Taiwan LED packager Unity Opto will focus its sales on lighting market in 2011 after securing stable customer base in backlight market. According to Corporate chairman, C.H. Wu, the company`s lighting operation would rake in revenue of around NT$2-2.5 billion (US$66-83 million at US$1:NT$30) in 2011, up from NT$1 billion (US$33 million) for 2010 to account for 20% of the company`s total sales, up from 2010`s 15%.

MIC Electronics Limited has been reported to bags multiple LED orders worth Rs 23.89 cr. One Rs.6.63 Cr order comes from the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA), based on the agreement that MIC Electronics will supply LED Solar Street Lighting Systems to them. Indian Railways also booked a gamut of True Color LED Display Systems and Emergency LED Lighting solutions worth Rs.5.87 Cr from MIC.

AIXTRON announced an order for six 31x2-inch configuration CRIUS® deposition systems from new customer United LED Shan Dong Corporation (ULED). After successful installation and commissioning of the systems in ULED’s dedicated new production plant in the third quarter of 2010, they will be used for the production of GaN LEDs for back-lighting units (BLU) and general lighting applications.

Reportedly, Taiwan Delta Electronics has acquired orders from major foreign buyers for LED lighting products, and it expects LED lighting sales to increase 10 fold in 2011. According to an interview from the Central News Agency, Roland Chiang, director of Delta Electronics' solid-state lighting division, said the company has generated large sales in Japan, the United States, Europe and China for its LED lighting products in less than two years since it entered that field.

A manager of Neo-Neon said, the company planed installation of additional MOCVD equipment has decreased to 30 sets MOCVD by the end of 2011 from originally planned 50 sets. And it would slow down expansion for LED epitaxial wafers, because worried about oversupply of LED chips used in backlight units of LCD TVs. The manager additional remarked, TFT-LCD panel makers had been expanding capacity for LED chips might bring oversupply of LED chips used in backlight units.

AkzoNobel will begin mass production of Trimethyl Gallium (TMG), a key LED precursor material to satisfy the global demand for its High Purity MetalOrganics product range. During this past June 2010, it has successfully doubled its production capacity for TMG at its world-scale production facilities in LaPorte, Texas, USA.

Taiwan Delta Electronics, is taking part in the 2010 China International Green Industry Expo (CIGIE), which is the No.1 green industry expo in China, offering high level, large scale, and big business opportunities. At the expo, Delta Electronics is showcasing various energy-saving solutions in the low-carbon technology field, such as: electric vehicle propulsion systems and charging stations, renewable energy generation systems, LED lighting, and low energy consumption visual display solutions.

The New York State Public Service Commission has approved a new lower-priced tariff option for Central Hudson Gas & Electric that would encourage municipalities to install LED-based street lights. Most street lights are not metered for actual power usage. The new tariff would allow the utility to correctly calculate the energy used by LED street lights and a municipality to pay a lower price for energy used for lighting.

Recently, Japan's Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. is said to develop the world’s first 6-inch diameter gallium nitride (GaN) substrates for white LEDs. Presently, the white LED market has been growing using 2- to 4-inch sapphire substrates. As an alternative to sapphire, Sumitomo Electric began production of 2-inch diameter GaN substrates designed for use in white LEDs.

Based on low quality of all holiday LED light strings sold between Oct. 1 and Nov. 18, 2010, Home Depot has declared a voluntary recall.

The right lighting in stores has a very significant effect on how shoppers perceive merchandise and its attractiveness. Also exhibits in museums and galleries and at trade fairs only really show themselves to advantage when they are staged with the right lighting. With Startrack from OMS, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors equips a luminaire for the retail sector using high-performance Golden DRAGON Plus LED. These LEDs have impressive specifications and are small.

Solar LED lighting manufacturer Carmanah terminated merger with Lightech, a driver manufacturer based in Israel, but the reason was not clear. A leader of Carmanah said, the decision to terminate the Lightech agreement was a very difficult one, but after due deliberation, the Board of Directors determined that it was the only decision that could be made in light of the fact that the financing condition is incapable of being fulfilled by December 31, 2010.

Recently, Lite-On Technology (2301) reported that it has completed the world's first Optoelectronic Semiconductor Product Carbon Footprint Declaration and Environmental Product Declaration Type III, which a comprehensive Environmental Product Declaration and can be used as a base for improving the environmental impact of Lite-On's optoelectronics (LED) products.

Recently, a leader of Taiwan-based PTTC (passive device maker Polytronics Technology) noted, with lower demand, the company would delay the scheduled expansion to the end of 1Q11, which had planed to expand its monthly production ability for TCBs (thermal conductive boards) used in LED backlight units of LCD TVs to 100,000 square meters in the end of 2010.

Amtran Technology planed to enter the LED lighting market and would emphasize on family lightings. But until now, the company has no specific schedule for product release. It was said that LED had a share up to 10% in 2011 from 5% in 2010 in the global lighting market. Meanwhile, LED lighting market would start to strong competition in 2011.

Recently, it was reported that the time of BenQ’s launching own-brand products would move back to the first half of 2011 from the end of 2010. With the BenQ Group's original plan, it was to make Lextar Electronics set up an LED lighting brand and develop LED light bulbs, light bars and other products. But, Lextar has become an OEM partner. So, BenQ Group has chosen BenQ to run the LED lighting brand without conflict.

Seoul Semiconductor Corporation has signed an agreement with Singapore-based Vertex Venture Management to join force to seek and invest in companies with advanced capabilities in the areas of LED technology development, expecting to create synergy effects from effective investments and asset management.

Cree has provided its LED Module LMR4 with Cree TrueWhiteTM Technology and versions featuring Cree EasyWhite TM solutions with Digi-Key Corporation to extend Digi-Key’s inventory. The Cree LED Module LMR4 uniquely integrates driver electronics, optics, and primary thermal management, making the compact module drop-in ready.

At present, BenQ invented a 3D LED-backlit LCD monitor-- the XL2410T, with formality entering the professional gamer market. BenQ noted that the monitor was specifically designed for professional gamers and had invited the champion of the World GameMaster Tournament (WGT) to join product development.

Tokyo-based OKI Data Corporation has received the "15th Annual, Fall 2010 BERTL's BEST Awards" for four of its new digital LED printers.   Among these four printers ,the C530 and C330 color LED printers received the Best High Performance Color Printer Award and the Best High Performance Monochrome Printer  have given to the mono LED printers, B431 and B411.

Ultratech is about to set up a new international headquarters in Singapore on December 6, 2010 to better serve its large customer base in Asia. And it is scheduled to begin shipping lithography systems to customers in Q1 of 2011. The Singapore facility will engineer and manufacture its lithography systems and other related products, including lithography steppers for advanced packaging and HB LEDs and modules for the laser spike anneal systems.

Due to Samsung’s plan to roll out new LED-lit liquid-crystal display TVs in December after nearly half a year of suspension to clear its stock of CCFL TVs, Taiwan Unity Opto Technology, the major TV backlights supplier to Samsung and LG, schedules its revenue with an estimated NT$12 billion (US$400 million), to soar 70% in 2011 over 2010, aiming to control over 10% of the world market for L

Linktec Technologies, manufacturer of various professional electronic connectors, teams up with world-class LED lighting firm, Applied Quantum Bright Technologies Co., Ltd., a company with rich professional expertise, for vertical integration and alliance. Linktec obtained sole distributorship of AQBT’s high power lighting fixtures in Taiwan. This alliance enriches Linktec’s product lines and services.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), international NGO the Climate Group and HSBC reported that they would start India’s largest LED Street-lighting pilot program in Kolkata, which installed over 270 lights on several of the city’s arterial roads.