Winding down to the end of 2011, we took the time to look back at the LEDs Magazine news stories that attracted the most interest from you - our readers. We present our Top-20 news stories measured by page traffic on our website. Review the list below and it's clear that LED retrofit lamps are the hottest solid-state-lighting (SSL) topic. Other notable areas of interest include industry forecast and financial stories, outdoor lighting, linear-fluorescent alternatives, and a variety of specialty topics.

The A-lamp, and in general the retrofit lamp, topic appeared early and often on our list. The greatest number of the stories centered of the US Department of Energy's L Prize that was awarded to early-entrant Philips Lighting just after GE Lighting and Lighting Science Group (LSG) announced plans to enter the DOE contest. But coverage of A-Lamp news at Lightfair International and the entry of startup Switch into the segment also caught your interest.

Technology- and financial-forecast articles scored three times in the top ten, and that's no surprise given the growth path that LED lighting is on. The general-illumination SSL segment is clearly the next big market driver, but questions remain as to the exact chronology and as to which market segments that LEDs have the largest impact.

The street- and outdoor-lighting is certainly a segment where SSL deployment is moving rapidly. We've covered the trend throughout the year in our Outdoor Lighting story series and in numerous other case studies. In our list, we have case studies of Philips Lighting deployments in Europe and a major Kingsun project in China. We also had new items on new outdoor luminaires from Ambergreat and Zhihai.

The remainder of the list is quite fragmented, but several stories are worth mention. Cree topped the list with a fixture that is an alternative to linear fluorescent lighting. Although LED-based replacements for T8 fluorescent lamps are still struggling in the market, purpose-built linear fixtures perform quite well.

Google made news with its Android@Home initiative and a light bulb due from LSG next year that can be wirelessly-controlled by smartphones. California was out in front of the energy-efficiency light-bulb movement, although the US may have taken a step back at year end with legislation that eliminates enforcement of new efficiency regulations.

All in all 2011 brought good and diverse news to the SSL segment. LEDs are succeeding in myriad applications, and the baseline component technology is still improving in terms of light output and efficacy on a steep ramp. The year 2012 should be even more exciting.

Top 20 LEDs Magazine news stories of 2011:

1. Cree delivers LED alternative to linear fluorescent fixtures

Cree’s CR SSL luminaire designs deliver 90 to 110 lm/W efficacy utilizing LEDs that radiate upwards into a mixing chamber and reflector that distributes light through a diffuser.

2. McKinsey releases lighting market report

Based on a worldwide survey of lighting professionals and consumers, as well as other input factors, McKinsey has developed a lighting market model that estimates the size of the global lighting market through to 2020, differentiated by application, geography, and light-source technology.

3. Lighting Science Group enters L Prize with 60W-equivalent LED lamp

Lighting Science Group and Light Prescriptions Innovators have developed an LED lamp which they plan to submit to the DOE for L Prize evaluation.

4. LED market grew by 93% in 2010, driven by backlights

The global market for packaged high-brightness LEDs is expected to reach $18.9 billion by 2015, according to Strategies Unlimited.

5. Strategies Unlimited forecasts LED revenue growth of nearly 10% in 2011

Falling LED prices and a reduced demand for LED-backlit TVs will result in a slower growth rate for LED revenues this year compared with 2010, according to Strategies Unlimited.

6. Switch Lighting announces unique LED replacement lamps

Replacement lamp design relies on inert liquid for cooling allowing Switch Lighting to drive the LEDs at higher current achieving greater brightness with fewer components.

7. Ambergreat introduces Amberstar 252W, 25312-lm LED street light

The new Amberstar street-light features Cree LEDs, a high-efficiency driver from Philips/Advance and a modular design.

8. Philips installs LED lights along 7-km length of highway

Philips has supplied 293 LED luminaires for a busy stretch of highway near Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Philips Lighting UK argues that switching-off street lights is a false economy, and modern technology such as LEDs and control systems offer a better option.

9. GE plans to submit 60W-equivalent LED lamp for DOE’s L Prize

GE Lighting and Cree have collaborated to develop a 60W-equivalent lamp with conventional looks that will be submitted to the DOE L Prize competition.

10. Zhihai releases new multi-function LED light up to 1000W HID retrofit

Zhihai Power Technology co., Ltd. has released its new generation LED light, the Genius series.

11. Financial results: Philips, Cree, SemiLEDs

12. LSG plans intelligent LED lamp for Android @ Home

13. Lasers could offer alternative to LED light sources

14. A-lamp LED products highlighted at Lightfair

15. Cree XLamp MT-G LED targets MR16 halogen retrofits

16. LED highway lighting project in China features a million Cree LEDs

17. DOE announces that Philips has won the 60W-replacement-lamp L Prize

18. California implements new light-bulb laws

19. Nichia appoints Lumitronix as its first-ever LED distributor

20. Fire hazard causes recall for Eco-Story LED lamps