How Has LED Technology Changed the World?
Over the last ten years, LED technologies have been growing in prevalence across the globe at an accelerating pace. Their applications are extremely wide-ranging: they can be found in OLED displays, automotive lighting, street lamps, and even home accent lighting installed around televisions. In numerous lighting scenarios, LEDs have become the go-to option, whereas older technologies such as incandescent bulbs are gradually becoming obsolete. The lighting industry has been reimagined by LED technologies-and this innovation shows no sign of stopping, with LEDs continuing to improve in performance, grow brighter, and become more versatile than ever before.
Nick Holonyak Jr. first invented LEDs in the 1960s. The early generations of these LEDs lacked the high performance of the LEDs we know today-though they were still slightly better than the incandescent bulbs that were popular at the time. As a result, LEDs did not gain widespread popularity or a strong reputation until much later. In fact, as recently as 2012, LEDs accounted for less than 1% of lighting market sales. But since then, the LED market has experienced rapid growth: by 2020, LEDs held 69% of the lighting market share, and Goldman Sachs reports they are projected to make up 95% of sales by 2025.
Government incentives have been a key driver behind the increased focus on LEDs and their broader adoption. Government agencies provided financial support and approved mandates to promote greener, energy-efficient programs. These new standards spurred advancements in the quality and performance of available LED technologies, which in turn fueled the growth of the LED market-attracting more companies and manufacturers to enter the space. This heightened market competition has made LEDs more price-competitive, ultimately benefiting consumers. Notably, over the past decade, semiconductor prices have dropped, making LED solutions more affordable for both residential and industrial applications.
LEDs have come a long way since their early days. In 2022, the global LED lighting market was valued at \(72.12 billion, and The Brainy Insights (2023) anticipates this figure will grow to \)230.27 billion by 2032. Given this trajectory, it is unlikely that manufacturers will slow their efforts to continue improving LED technologies.
Why LEDs Have Superseded Older Technologies…
Before LEDs gained popularity, incandescent and halogen bulbs dominated the lighting market. These options were widely used largely because they were inexpensive to deploy. While LED prices have decreased in recent years, they still typically have a higher upfront cost than other bulbs. Even so, LEDs remain the preferred choice in many scenarios-and this is because their lower long-term operating costs more than offset the higher initial investment.
Unlike incandescent and halogen bulbs, LEDs consume less energy, produce less heat as a byproduct, and have no filaments (which are prone to burning out). This makes LEDs a more reliable light source with a longer lifespan and lower maintenance costs, as they do not require frequent replacement. Instead of burning out completely, LEDs may undergo "lumen depreciation," where their brightness fades slowly over time. However, this process occurs over an extremely large number of hours and is very gradual.
Another key advantage is that LEDs are directional light sources-they emit light in a specific direction. By contrast, incandescent and traditional CFL lamps emit light and heat in all directions, leading to significant energy and light waste. LEDs project light and use energy more efficiently across a wide range of applications, and this efficiency is further enhanced when secondary optics are applied.
Innovative LED Applications…
The small size of LEDs gives them enormous applicability, allowing for the integration of light into practical and unique design concepts. Below are just a few examples:
Wearable electronics with addressable LEDs: Intelligent LED pixels offer a cost-effective, creative approach to lighting design. They are commonly used in DIY maker projects to create eye-catching effects-such as embedding them into clothing or wearable accessories. These LEDs also have practical uses, including in gaming peripherals, ambient TV backlighting, under-counter lighting, and other general color accent lighting.
Flexible LEDs in foldable smartphones and screens: Researchers at Zhejiang University, for instance, have developed transparent, flexible LED screens using silver nanowires-improving on earlier manufacturing methods. This new approach is more cost-effective and delivers a transparent, flexible end product, ideal for foldable devices.
Horticultural LEDs: Setting up and operating indoor farms can be costly, so finding cost-effective solutions is critical for many growers. High-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps have long been a popular choice for horticultural lighting, but they are now being replaced by LEDs. LED grow lights typically provide at least 50,000 hours of consistent light-translating to up to 15 years of high-quality indoor growing. Additionally, LED systems offer greater control and intelligence: growers can implement smart LED setups that work with Wi-Fi-enabled devices to precisely regulate when and how the grow lights operate.
UV LEDs for sterilization: UVC disinfection differs significantly from heat- or chemical-based disinfection methods. It has a broad range of applications and has grown increasingly popular-especially since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, which raised public awareness of bacteria and increased acceptance of measures to reduce transmission. UVC LEDs are particularly well-suited for medical settings, including hospitals and dental clinics.
Infrared heat detection and security: 3D facial recognition systems (such as those in smartphones) use near-infrared (NIR) light patterns to detect a user's facial geometry. Infrared (IR) LEDs are also used in security cameras and motion sensors. Since all humans emit heat, these cameras can detect this heat-making them useful for CCTV, automatic number plate recognition, and night vision goggles.
Together, we make it better.
Shenzhen Benwei Lighting Technology Co.,Ltd
Mobile/Whatsapp ：(+86)18673599565
Email:bwzm15@benweilighting.com
Skype： benweilight88
Web: www.benweilight.com
Add：F Building,Yuanfen Industrial Zone,Longhua,Bao'an District,Shenzhen, China
