LED has been used in many public works in China, like Shanghai World Expo, Guangzhou Asian Games. But their performances cannot make people satisfied. Within three year, more than 100 thousand LED lamps had been replaced as a result of serious light attenuations. Theoretically, LEDs have an average working life of 50000 hours (can constantly work for 5.7 years). Facts proved that this value need to be further studied. Nowadays, LED lighting industry vigorously developed in China. It seems that everyone is striving to make a profit in this area. But no one ever questioned that whether this technology is matured or not. In next sections, we are going to list server problems of LED lighting lamp industry.
Local protectionism caused by support policies. Many local government introduced support policies in their region to help developing local LED lighting business. They give priorities to the LED lighting applications in most local public works, like municipal landscape lighting projects and traffic lighting projects, causing many midstream and downstream LED companies to put their most attentions on projects bidding. It is against the overall development of LED lighting industry. Lacking of an indentified LED lighting standard is another reason. Differences are obvious and ubiquitous among local standards. It is very hard for LED companies to expand the market in different other regions. In another view, this is also an obstacle for overall development of LED lighting lamp industry.
Lack of brand consciousness. Currently, China has more than 5000 LED manufactures. “dragons and fish jumbled together”. Product varies in quality. They have no independent brands, and keep copying each other. Right infringement emerges frequently in everywhere.
Civilian applications need government’s support. Generally, LED high bay lighting products are more expansive than traditional sodium lamps. The high up-front spending made many local government treated most LED civilian projects as over-bold investments. The promotion speed of LED applications in China is much lower than that of western countries. Ironically, China is the biggest LED factory in the world. However, some civil societies and business groups (Shanghai Lighting Association, Guangzhou Lighting Association, etc.) may impact an influence on local governments’ decisions. At the request of these associations, almost every first-level city had their own LED applications distribution center, for example, Shanghai LED Projects Center.
