The ac-dc power supply market is projected to grow from $17.0 billion in 2011 to over $22.3 billion by 2016, a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6%. It is also expected to undergo a significant shift in demand characteristics which is expected to result in new product designs and sales opportunities. The emerging Smart Grid is expected to make an immediate impact on the power supply industry and is expected to be one of the more promising longer-term areas of opportunity. Made up of three applications, smart meters, electric vehicle chargers and smart appliances, the smart grid segment is expected to be one of the more promising longer-term areas of opportunity. However, an important fact that manufacturers need to be aware of is that the power supplies currently used in smart grid applications are primarily captive areas of production. Trends affecting the embedded power supply market are presented in the report, AC DC Power Supplies: Worldwide Forecasts.
Although growth in the smart grid segment is expected to be mostly captive, it does not necessarily mean that there will not be opportunities for power supply manufacturers. As the smart grid matures and expands, new regulations and standards will be adopted, technologies will change, and new products will be announced. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) represent an important area of growth and are expected to be at the forefront of solid-state lighting solutions. These factors are discussed in detail in the report, AC DC Power Supplies: Economic Factors, Application Drivers, Architecture/Packaging Trends, Technology and Regulatory Developments.
The outlook for the worldwide ac-dc external power supply market is expected to remain similarly strong over the next several years, growing from $9.3 billion in 2011 to $14.0 billion in 2016, a CAGR of 8.5%. Evolving power architectures, smaller form factors, more efficient designs and improved power management technology are expected to combine with growing application demand to create new opportunities. One of the more important trends expected over the next several years is the reduction of standby power in consumer products such as appliances, portable electronics and computer systems. End users, assisted by strengthened regulations, are demanding products able to achieve the ultra-low standby power performance. The outlook for the worldwide ac-dc external power supply market is discussed in External AC-DC Power Supplies: Worldwide Forecasts.
Another particularly significant technological and architectural challenge for power supply manufacturers includes a growing trend towards smaller configurations that leave room for added functionality and processing power. However, the desire to produce smaller and lighter products often poses serious challenges for power supply designers, as power supplies must often fit into a standard format already in use in order to avoid the expense of a costly system re-design. Despite this challenge, a number of companies have been quite successful and have introduced new products that are small, more efficient and meet strict regulatory guidelines. Market forces affecting the external power supply market are described in detail in External AC-DC Power Supplies: Economic Factors, Application Drivers, Architecture/Packaging Trends, Technology and Regulatory Developments.
Both embedded and external power supply markets are projected to experience significant growth and development over the next several years. The embedded power supply report library can be found here and the external library can be found here.
