OLED backlighting to reach $1.1 billion by 2015

While the unit costs of OLED lights are likely to remain higher than older general lighting technologies but the extra costs will be offset by improved OLED lifetimes and efficiencies, according to NanoMarkets. During 2008, OLED lifetimes improved from 24 Khrs to 100 Khrs. The US Department of Energy now expects OLED lighting to reach 150 lm/W efficiency in 2012 rather than 2014 as previously forecast. NanoMarkets believes that these and other improvements in OLEDs will drive the general illumination market to US$2.3 billion in revenues by 2015.

Manufacturing processes for OLEDs have also progressed significantly. GE and the Fraunhofer Institute have both demonstrated roll-to-roll manufacturing of OLED lighting which will ultimately lead to significant cost improvements in OLED fabrication. Low cost printing approaches and new small molecule inks will also help propel OLEDs into the backlighting market. NanoMarkets expects that the OLED backlighting market will reach US$1.1 billion by 2015.