Sharp Move into LED Lighting Fixtures
The market for LED lighting is expected to boom, and the number of companies involved is growing. Sharp is the latest.

Japanese electronics giant Sharp is already a prominent alternative energy stock, thanks to its leadership role in solar energy. Now it has announced plans to move into the market for energy-saving lighting, with a new range of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting fixtures.

Light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures, which consume less energy and last longer than incandescent and fluorescent lights, are seen as promising next-generation lights as costs for power generation and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions rise.

However, they are much more expensive than conventional lighting at the moment, and Sharp is set to face stiff competition with established rivals such as Philips Electronics and Toshiba Corp.

Prices for Sharp's new LED lighting, which will go on sale on Sept. 1 in Japan, will range from 44,100 to 199,500 yen ($410-1,856).

Details for overseas launches have yet to be decided, and Sharp declined to comment on sales or market share targets.

But Sharp Executive Officer Kazutaka Ihori said the domestic lighting market is expected to reach 1 trillion yen by 2012, with LEDs accounting for 30 percent of total sales.

A detailed press release from the company says the new lights include "three that deliver a light intensity equivalent to a 150-watt incandescent lamp, an industry first for downlight models".

An analysis by the research firm Strategies Unlimited forecast that the LED market would rise from $4.2 billion in 2006 to $9 billion in 2011. However, investors seeking exposure to this sector will probably look beyond a giant like Sharp.

Some of the companies with a high exposure to LED are:

Cree is a leader in the development of LED technology, and it offers a wide range of LED lighting products.

Carmanah Technologies, a Canadian company, specializes in the production of solar-powered LED lighting and LED illuminated signs.

Lighting Science Group designs, manufactures and sells a wide array of LED lighting products, with a particular specialty in the provision of lighting for architectural and artistic projects around the world, and of lighting products for the gaming industry.

Cyberlux began as a supplier of emergency lighting, and has since branched into other areas, including retail and commercial lighting, and it has achieved success in winning military lighting contracts.

Rubicon Technology is a prominent manufacturer of monocrystalline sapphire and other crystalline products for LEDs.

Here is a brief Introduction to Investing in Lighting Stocks.

August 5th, 2008

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Sharp Move into LED Lighting Fixtures The market for LED lighting is expected to boom, and the number of companies involved is growing. Sharp is the latest.

Sharp Move into LED Lighting Fixtures
The market for LED lighting is expected to boom, and the number of companies involved is growing. Sharp is the latest.