The hustle and bustle of Hong Kong makes this city alive, and the same energy and excitement is clearly felt at the Hong Kong Lighting Fair 2017. Here are some of the highlights and booming trends that LEDinside observed.
(LEDinside)
LED Filament Bulbs Shine Bright at HKLF 2017
Competition from Chinese brands lowered prices of LED light bulbs in the U.S. and Europe during March, according to the latest report from
LEDinside, a division of
TrendForce. Compared with February, the global average sales price (ASP) of 40-watt equivalent LED light bulbs dropped 3.6% to US$6.6, while the global ASP of 60-watt equivalent products had a smaller decline of 0.9% and came to US$8.1.
In fact, prices of LED bulbs have been on a downward trend since February. “The releases and promotions of new LED filament light bulbs caused prices to drop noticeably in Europe and the U.S. this February,” said LEDinside analyst Allen Yu.
“LED filament light bulbs have the advantage of using less power to achieve the same levels of luminous flux as conventional LED light bulbs. At the same time, LED filament light bulbs are priced much lower on average than conventional LED light bulbs,” Yu added.
The market’s interest towards LED filament bulbs is still strong, which is noticeable at the fair where this particular type of LED product can be seen almost everywhere. For instance, the largest exhibitor of this year, Hangzhou Sky-Lighting Group (HK) Ltd., showcased a variety of LED filament light bulbs at its booth.
Hangzhou Sky-Lighting Group at HKLF 2017. (LEDinside)
As technology matures, the quality of LED filament bulbs have improved across all manufacturers. Thus, to stand out against a sea of rivals, companies now focus on adding value to their products, and the first thing they can work on is appearance.
Zhejiang Ledison Optoelectronics, a major LED manufacturer in China, introduced a new series of spiral filament LED bulbs and plant filament at the show. In addition, it also produces filament bulbs with different shapes, colors, and decorative glass patterns.
Zhejiang Ledison Optoelectronics exhibited a variery of LED filament bulbs at HKLF 2017. (LEDinside)
Ji Quan, Sales Manager at KaiLin (HK) Lighting Co., Ltd., said the two keys to profit are still price and quality. However, he admitted that it has become more and more difficult for companies to stay on top of their game. Manufacturers rely mostly on their regular customers with whom they build close ties over the years.
KaiLin (HK) Lighting started out as a manufacturer of incandescent bulbs and then shifted its focus to LED filament bulbs. (LEDinside)
Currently, most filament bulbs made by Chinese companies are exported to the U.S. and Europe, but some manufacturers are expecting a pick-up in domestic demands.
State-owned Xiamen Topstar Co., Ltd. showcased a series of specially designed LED filament bulbs. It also exhibited industrial and commercial LED lighting products such as LED high bay lights and downlights.
Seeking Progress While Maintaining Stability
Looking at China’s LED packaging market, some LED suppliers already raised prices for their 0.2-watt and 0.5-watt 2835 products in February, as LEDiniside’s latest statistics show. While market demand stayed fairly robust through March, suppliers also expanded their production capacity during the same period. Therefore, the overall price trend in China’s LED package market was on a steady course without significant fluctuations.
China’s major LED packaging manufacturer MLS was also present at the HKLF. After the Chinese maker acquired LEDVANCE by Osram in March, the two sides now focus on leveraging synergies.
China-based LED packaging manufacturer MLS also participated in the fair. (LEDinside)
This year, MLS exhibited T5, T8 LED glass-based tubes, as glass is the preferred material used by global giants such as Osram and Philips Lighting. MLS told LEDinside that through LEDVANCE, MLS has gained access to Osram’s patented LED chips and other technologies so the company can combine this benefit with its existing advantage in LED packaging to maintain its competitive edge in the lighting sector.
MLS showcased LED glass tubes at the HK fair. (LEDinside)
The company said buyers from the U.S., Europe, Turkey, India and the Middle East have shown strong interests in their products at the fair.
LED Specialty Lighting on the Rise
LED grow lights are also getting a lot of attention at the fair. As global companies like Philips Lighting, Osram and China's Sanan Optoelectronics have all invested heavily in building plant factories, the future of LED horticultural lighting looks ever brighter.
Yankon Lighting showcased LED horticultural lighting products. (LEDinside)
LEDinside forecasts that the scale of the LED horticultural lighting market worldwide will grow rapidly from about US$576 million in 2016 to around US$1.42 billion in 2020.
Wisearn Manufacturing Company Ltd. exhibited its patented LED horticultural lighting applications.
Smart lighting,
as mentioned in the previous article, is another booming trend in the lighting market. Thanks to sensor technologies and IoT, from our homes to cities we live in, everything has become smarter. LEDinside projects that the scale of the global LED smart lighting market will increase to around US$13.43 billion in 2020.
Connected home lighting is a booming trend. (LEDinside)
Shenzhen JBT Smart Lighting demonstrated smart bulbs that work with Amazon's Alexa. User can control dimming, change color using just one's voice. (LEDinside)
Even though smarting lighting seems to be an unstoppable trend, with more and more companies venturing into this business, for most people, smart homes or smart cities are still just a concept.
In addition, cyber security has generated great concerns and there is the urgent need to address a complicated set of threats. How to ensure security, reliability and practicality still presents great challenges for companies around the world.
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