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North American Lighting Control Switches Markets
Frost & Sullivan, March 2004
End-user Education about Energy Efficiency Critical to Market Growth
Educating the end user about the idea of energy conservation and the value of energy-efficient lighting controls is a major challenge faced by the lighting control switches industry. With the deregulation move in 1997 deterring the utility companies from promoting the cause of energy efficiency, the task of campaigning for energy-efficient switches has fallen on the manufacturers. However, most manufacturers lack the resources to embark on nationwide campaigns to educate the end users on value added benefits. In markets where revenues are not very substantial it is not feasible to allocate high budgets for marketing the idea. Proactive support and help from the Federal and State agencies is critical to successfully popularize the benefits of energy conservation especially among those who are new to the concept.
This research by Frost & Sullivan examines the North American lighting control switches markets including detailed discussions on the prevailing market challenges and giving strategic recommendations to overcome them. It provides insights on the emerging technologies and product innovations in this field that imply potential growth opportunities.
Enforcement of Energy Codes Heralds Market Growth
The industry is on a crusade to enforce strict energy codes at a national level, says the analyst. As per a federal mandate, by the second quarter of 2004, all states in the United States must certify that they have stringent energy codes in force or provide justification for their non-compliance. So far only a few states have complied, with California leading the way and a few others in the process of adopting stricter measures.
Proactive support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) has encouraged the enforcement of these initiatives. The effective implementation of these regulations as a national standard is likely to stimulate demand for innovative energy-efficient lighting control switches.
Product Innovation Holds Untapped Growth Potential
Product maturity and mounting competition is forcing manufacturers to seek growth opportunities with product innovations such as photo timers that combine photo sensors with timer-based light control switches, says the analyst. This combination, apart from enhancing functional efficiency, also proves to be more economical than individual photo sensor switches and timers.
The advances taking place in the sensor switches industry, which introduces approximately two products per year, are promoting steady market growth. Apart from new products, applications are also being invented for existing products. The current technology trends, such as dual and adaptive technologies (to make existing sensor switches ‘more intelligent’) are anticipated to help market participants stay ahead of the competition by expanding customer base and improving market share.
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