The Taiwanese market’s demand for light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs has been nothing but on the rise this year. However, there’s one problem: numerous LED makers and vendors are exaggerating the quality of their LED lighting products. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) reports that at least 20 percent of all LED light bulbs in the country have a major discrepancy (at least 20 percent) with their power outputs compared to their manufacturer’s labels.
After receiving plenty of requests from Taiwan’s Bureau of Energy, the ITRI has worked on designing energy-saving labels that adopt the industry’s highest standards. Industry sources indicate that the new labels have a good chance of creating shuffles in the market. Details for the new labels are expected to be released in January 2013 by ITRI, which is also looking to announce which brands or makers of LED light bulbs have successfully passed the new standards put forth by the group.
The demand for LED light bulbs in Taiwan is forecasted to reach the 1.5 million units mark before the end of the year; that’s paired with a penetration rate of LED bulbs estimated at around 30 percent by 2014, rising higher to 50 percent in 2015. the growth of the LED lighting industry in Taiwan is so fast that ITRI predicts that by the end of 2015, Taiwan will be home to around 46 brands/makers of LED lights and more than 150 LED light bulb models.
ITRI has taken into consideration the two major suggests for creating standards for LED light bulbs in Taiwan. One suggestion is a standard for cold white LED lights that have a CRI (colour rendering index) of over 80, which is recommended to have an efficiency rating of 80 lumens per watt. For warm white LED light bulbs with a CRI of 80 or above, it’s suggested that they have an efficiency of 85 lumens per watt.
The second suggestion on the other hand, is to raise efficiency standards recommended in the first suggestion by another 5 lumens per watt—a standard that many LED makers in Taiwan would be unable to meet at present.
