The light emitting diode (LED) lighting needs from transportation, from retail to office environments are extremely varied. What is important for one segment, may not be as important to another. Yet in order for players to succeed, vendors in the LED market need different strategies to win, according to IHS.
Safety and Security in Transportation
For the $18.1 billion global transportation lighting market, the most important need is for users to feel a sense of safety and security. Whether that lighting makes them feel relaxed or if they are waiting for a bus or a train, the right type of lighting makes all the difference. Here, bright lighting without glare or shadowed areas meets this need, IHS says. Other factors here include longer lifetimes for LED bulbs to mitigate maintenance costs, ease of access to difficult-to-service locations and the quality of the LED light in general.
Retail is All About the Right Product
In the $17.6 billion retail market, the three most important factors to succeeding are the right amount of lumens, the right placement of the lights and the right light color. Food, clothing and many other retail items require a high color-rendering index in order to appeal to consumers. In the retail space, while lighting quality is not as critical, a uniform white look tends to make a store look more attractive, IHS says.
Cost Remains No. 1 Factor in Offices
Finally, for office environments, worth $18.8 billion, it is all about the cost. In most offices, lighting cost overrides all the other arguments. Installation cost, running cost and maintenance cost will decide most choices over other considerations such as quality and design issues, IHS says. Light quality only needs to be “good enough” but not great in order to do the job. While bad lighting can have an effect on employee productivity and morale, providing good lighting is not often considered to be a worthwhile investment. However, there are some stylish companies that are using lighting more focused on style and quality, they are in the minority.
Questions or comments on this story? Contact engineering360editors@ihs.com
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