National Development and Reform Commission will accelerate the regulation and rolling out of specific plan for semiconductor lighting energy saving industry. It will also promote the application of semiconductor lighting products in engineering and offer financial subsidy to improve the market share. LED lighting faces good opportunity to develop.

After interviewing some industry experts, the reporter learned that despite many advantages such as energy efficiency and environment protection of LED lighting, problems of technology and price still stand obstacle to widespread use. It has a long way to go before LED lighting can replace incumbent lighting products.
 
Liu Shiping, the vice chairman of China Illuminating Engineering Society, told the reporter that as a new and promising light source, LED light is developing on a fast track. However, there are insufficiency in technology in terms of efficacy, heat dissipation and driver. In addition, LED lights generally provide beam angle of 180 degree, lagging behind traditional incandescent and compact fluorescent lamp capable to provide 360 degree beam angle.

The technological deficiency has blocked LED light application. For example, controversy has rises when some cities promote the use of LED street lights. Experts point out, urban road lighting design standard sets strict rules about illumination, uniformity, flicker, etc, but those LED products encouraged to be used in public lighting do not meet the standard. In addition, LED lights features high color temperature, pure white light and inferior penetrability which is especially apparent when it rains or has frog, thus posing threat to road safety.

Besides technological problem, cost as well counts a barrier to popularity of LED lights. Liu Shiping told reporter that currently, widely-used incandescent bulbs and compact inflorescent lamps are generally priced at 1 to2 yuan and 8 to 9 yuan respectively, while price tag of LED lights ranges from 40 or 50 yuan to more than 100 yuan.