According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the United States has been able to attain 22.7 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic installation capacity in the second quarter of this year. This energy is so massive that it is capable of powering 4.6 million US households. Furthermore, numerous researches estimate that over a million homes in the country will install solar panels by February 2016. Although once considered suitable only for the affluent class, solar power in America has become the headliner among alternative energy. Tampa, Austin, Raleigh and other fast-developing cities, as a result, are reaping great benefits. The LED industry in the US can take a cue from solar power. Although its adoption rate has skyrocketed from 0.3 percent in 2010 to 18 percent this year, manufacturers and marketers need to make informed decisions to initiate a mass adoption of LED lights. And in order to do it, they need to observe and learn from the recent growth of the solar industry. So is there any driving factor in the solar power industry that can potentially catapult the LED industry to a new height? Let's find out.Focusing on Safety Over the last decade, solar panels have emerged as one of the safest options for residential and commercial use. This is one of the reasons solar power adoption has had an outstanding trajectory in recent years. However, LED lights still have some minor areas to improve on when it comes to consumer safety. One of the biggest safety concerns with LED lights is their potential threat to the retina of our eyes. Long exposure to high-powered LEDs that come without a built-in protection can result in the accumulation of lipofuscin, a type of cellular debris, in the pigment epithelium of the retina. Like solar panels, LEDs will also be embraced on a wider scale if manufacturers are able to find a solution.Educating the Mass
Another reason why solar power is experiencing an exponential growth is due to the various financial incentives available at the regional, state and federal levels. The federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) that came into the limelight in 2006 is one of the biggest reasons behind the widespread adoption of solar power. But in order to do so, programs were held by manufacturers to educate their audience about the rebates available while purchasing solar units. The LED industry also has its own share of tax credits available in the market, but unfortunately, not many people know about it. In order to make things better, manufacturers need to promote these rebates by educating the mass.Cutting the Costs One of the biggest barriers that held the solar industry back was its overwhelming cost. Things started to improve only when the ITC came to life almost a decade back. The solar industry has now been able to cut down the cost by an impressive 75 percent. Large-scale adoption of LED lights will only come to fruition when manufacturers can slash down their prices without sacrificing the quality. LED companies need to learn from the solar industry about how it was successful in meeting energy-saving requirements while keeping the budget well within limit. With the rise of solar and other forms of alternative energy, Tampa and many other US cities have woken up to an eco-friendly and cost-effective lifestyle. If the LED industry is able to experience a similar growth pattern, it can turn out to be a powerhouse that boots out incandescent bulbs once and for all. All it has to do is take note of what solar companies practice in order to win over the market.
Source : articlesbase.com
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