light

Electrical discharge lights such as fluorescent and HID lights will lead demand gains through 2009. Growth will be aided by their favorable performance characteristics, which include high energy efficiency and long life. Advances will also be bolstered by the recovery expected for nonresidential fixed investment, which will support use in both new installations and in retrofit projects in which these energy-efficient lights are installed to reduce energy costs. Fluorescents will continue to benefit from the growing use of compact fluorescent lights in residential applications as a replacement for incandescent lights. Additionally, fluorescent demand will be driven by solid nonresidential construction activity, the primary market for these lights. HID lights will offer particularly strong growth prospects, benefiting from accelerating spending on transportation infrastructure and the increasing acceptance of metal halide lights in a variety of applications. Despite the strong gains expected for electrical discharge lights, filament lights such as incandescent and halogen types will continue to account for slightly more of value demand through 2009. Incandescent lights will remain the single most commonly used type of light as a result of widespread use in residential applications. However, these lights face competition from other, better performing lights, including halogen types and compact fluorescents. Halogens will continue to make inroads into incandescent light market share in both building and vehicular applications, posting strong growth through 2009.