The “Ring in 2017 LED Discoveries Forum and the 5th China LED Industry Billboard Awards Ceremony” organized by the Guangdong Gaozhi Research Institute for Emerging Industry Development were held in Jiangmen, Guangdong. As the first LED forum of 2017, top talents of the LED industry gathered at the event for an extensive and in-depth exploration of hot innovation topics that will decide and change the future directions of LED developments. These included agricultural lighting, deep UV, automotive lighting, Internet-of-Things and crossovers. The TÜV Rheinland Group (hereafter referred to as “TÜV Rheinland”) was invited to attend the conference and give a detailed analysis on how Chinese enterprises can respond to the requirements and technical barriers set by international markets for LED products.
New Opportunities and Challenges for the LED Industry
In the 2016 China Solid State Lighting Industry Development White Paper issued on December 30, 2016, the China Solid State Lighting Alliance Research Institute (CSA Research) pointed out that new technologies and economic reforms in 2017 such as intelligent technology, IoT+ and shared economy will accelerate the development of solid state lighting (SSL) technology and applications. The release and implementation of national plans and projects such as the “13th 5-Year Plan” and “Green Lighting Phase 4” will also bring new opportunities and challenges for the SSL industry.
CSA Research analysis suggested that the large companies will use the capital market to fund further consolidation and acquisitions. The concentration of resources will help them become larger and more competitive. Small and medium enterprises must specialize in specific market niches to survive. Apart from the integration of next-generation information technologies such as IoT and big data, the fusion of LED and smart manufacturing as well as LED with cultural industries, manufacturing and services will become increasingly common. Crossover, fusion and development will become key industry themes in 2017.
Eliminating Technical Barriers for LED Product Exports
The maturing of wireless technology and the LED industry combined with the prevalence of smart phones means smart lighting has become an integral part of our work and play. The prevailing trend is towards closer integration with health and safety as well. Under these conditions, the elimination of technical barriers becomes critical for local LED enterprises seeking to “reach outwards.”
During the forum, Eric Zeng, Vice General Manager of TÜV Rheinland Greater China Electrical Division Products Home and Lighting Appliances Technology Center, delivered a presentation on the theme “International Market Requirements and Development Trends for LED Products.” The guests were introduced to the latest LED product requirements from international markets such as Europe, Brazil and Japan, as well as their experiences with LED product testing and certification.
Eric stated that the new EU ErP directive and energy efficiency labeling directive will be issued at the end of 2017 and take effect in September, 2018. The new directives will replace all existing ErP and energy efficiency labeling directives covering directional, non-directional, fluorescent and LED lighting. For Chinese LED companies, understanding and adapting to the actual requirements and testing methods before the new directives are formally issued will help them avoid losses caused by slow development and transition to new products. The ENEC mark has been in existence for over two decades. It is recognized in 21 European countries and is the most authoritative quality symbol in Europe. From January 1, 2017, onwards, the European Electrical Products Certification Association (ETICS) and lighting association agreed that ENEC testing for lighting fixtures and components can now be conducted at laboratories outside of Europe. TÜV Rheinland will be able to provide its extensive Chinese customer base with this service from 2017 onwards as well. This means that ENEC testing no longer has to be conducted at European laboratories which lead to very high costs and make corrective actions difficult.
Other topics introduced by Eric included the introduction of compulsory LED lighting certification by Brazil on February 16, 2016, as well as the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law (DENAN) in Japan.
The announcement of the SSL industry road map in the “13th 5-Year Plan” as well as the launching of the “Enabling Solid State Lighting Market Transformation & Promotion of Light Emitting Diode Lighting Project (Green Lighting Phase 4)” will provide direction to the future development focus and approach of the Chinese LED industry, and make a difference to market transformation, application demonstration and quality assurance in the SSL market.