Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 2024 | Powerland's Alex Xu: Continuously seeking 0.5% technological breakthroughs in mature markets

The 29th Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition was held in Guangzhou China Import and Export Fair Complex from 9th to 12th June, 2024. Powerland brought six series of ultra-high-efficiency small-size LED driver power supply products to the exhibition, which covered multiple application scenarios, including court lamps, explosion-proof lamps, industrial and mining lamps, street lamps, plant lamps and other multi-usage scenarios.

During the exhibition, Mr Alex Xu , Partner and Director of LED Business Department of Powerland Technology was interviewed by Aladdin Media, focusing on Powerland's innovative power supply solutions and looking forward to its development prospect in the field of LED driver power supply.

Q1：What series of products and technical solutions does Powerland bring to this exhibition? What are the new highlights? What are the competences?

Alex Xu：In this exhibition, Powerland mainly brings six series of products: power supply for court lamps; power supply for explosion-proof lamps; isolated power supply for small and medium power, which is mainly used in street lamps; non-isolated power supply for small and medium power, which is mainly used in industrial and mining lamps, floodlights and other applications; and the fifth and the sixth series are for plant lamps, which are divided into isolated and non-isolated products for high power.

We should be the earliest power supply company in China to do integrated power supply design, we have integrated the dimming function requirements of all applications into one power supply. Stadium lighting fixtures are installed very high, we design the power supply installed under the light pole, so that for the entire application, the weight of the lamps and lanterns will not be too heavy, to avoid the installation and application of security issues.

Explosion-proof lamp power supply focus on high efficiency and high temperature resistance. Because of the extreme environment of the explosion-proof occasions, this series of power supply temperature resistance, can reach 80 degrees. The fundamental reason for good temperature resistance is to improve efficiency, less heat, and does not affect the life. This series of products have also entered the petroleum, petrochemical systems, market feedback is very positive.

This year's launch of the street lamp power supply products are small size, high efficiency, and peer competitors than, at present, our size is about 1/3 smaller, the efficiency is generally higher than 1 to 2 points; industrial and mining lamp power supply size is smaller than 1/2, the efficiency is higher than 2 to 3 points. The technical difficulty involved is very high, because now everyone's level is very high, and if you go up 0.5 points, it is a huge progress for the whole industry.

In the field of plant light power supply, we currently have the largest shipment of high-power plant light power supply. Every year, we ship more than 500,000 high-power plant light power supplies, which are applied to vegetable greenhouses or special plant lighting in Europe and North America, and our customers are very positive about us. At present, we have the lowest defective rate in the market, and the industry benchmark in terms of efficiency and reliability.

Q2：What kind of innovation do you think is needed in the current lighting industry and how can LED driver power supplies help this innovation?

Alex Xu：Every industry needs innovation, and every industry has an inherent drive to innovate. But the lighting industry has been developed for hundreds of years, from a technical point of view, it has been very mature. Many companies are sighing, has been done to this extent, as if there is no way to innovate, only the price of the volume, but I think that everything has room for innovation.

Power supply is the core component of the lamps and lanterns lighting industry, no matter from the importance of reliability, or cost ratio, are the core components. We can do innovation from the following aspects:

First, efficiency. Improvement of efficiency means more energy saving, improve light efficiency. From a macro point of view, it is a contribution to low-carbon environmental protection. According to global statistics, more than 20% of electricity is consumed in lighting. If we improve our efficiency, it will be a huge boost to the industry. Therefore, we have been working tirelessly on efficiency, constantly pushing the limits. Just now also mentioned a few products, we are generally higher than our competitors will be 1 to 2 points.

Second is the size. With the improvement of efficiency, the lamp design is more and more compact, leaving less and less space for power supply. If we can make the size smaller, for the entire lamps and lanterns to reduce weight, improve the aesthetics, improve the overall coordination of the product, are very helpful.

At present, these two points are our main efforts in the direction of innovation, customers are also very recognised these two points. Other aspects of reliability, dimming performance, I think it is the basic requirements must be met.

Q3：What are the notable achievements of Powerland in 2023? What are the plans and goals of the business for the next 3-5 years?

Alex Xu：Every year we have made great progress with milestone achievements.

In 2023, in the field of LED lighting, we shifted from a strategy of customising for large customers to a strategy of general standard products, so we are now serving more and more domestic companies with high-performance, high-efficiency and high-reliability products.

Our first generation of charging pile products are starting to come out. Boland is a power supply company, in addition to LED power supply, we also do other power charging pile products, fully independent patented charging pile module products, which came out in 2023, and fully independent patented solar inverter products also came out. Whether it is the traditional power supply application field or the new energy power supply field, we have begun to lay out the landing, which is the biggest achievement in 2023.

Powerland has a Slogan called: "Be a company with a soul, be a person with a soul." Regardless of the year, we hope that the products we make will be products with souls that can lead the industry or bring progress to the industry. In terms of the whole strategy, in addition to the traditional power supply, we are also actively laying out the new energy field, to contribute to the country's carbon reduction construction.

Q4：Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 2024 will focus on the theme of "Light + Time - Practising Light Unlimited". What are your expectations for this exhibition? How do you think the exhibition will help the development of the industry?

Alex Xu：Every exhibition has a great promotion effect on the whole industry. I think the development of the industry is every practitioner, including suppliers, organisers, promoters, all the bit by bit work summed up into a powerful force to promote the progress of the whole industry. Now the lighting industry, I think Chinese companies have stood in the first echelon, this result is not easy to come by. With the efforts, enthusiasm and love of our generation, this industry will definitely develop better and better.

Conclusion

The wonderful appearance of Powerland at Light Asia not only demonstrated its technological innovation and product strength in the field of LED driver power supply, but also embodied the rise and commitment of Chinese enterprises in the lighting industry. The story of Powerland is a vivid footnote of China's intelligence and innovation spirit in the "Light + Era".