World Stationary Lead Acid Battery Market

Need for Highly Reliable and Cost Effective Energy Storage Solutions for Critical Applications Fuel World Stationary Lead Acid Battery Markets

Stationary power systems support various critical applications including preventing unscheduled outages, extending sensitive electronic equipment life, reducing maintenance costs, and increasing predictability of equipment failures. Widespread utilization of lead acid batteries as standby power sources for several critical applications for over a century has earned the trust of end users. Today, SLA batteries have become vital components in every industrial application. "A realization of the need for backup power to sustain the running of critical businesses has resulted in constant revenue in the market for these batteries," notes the analyst of this research service. "The technology has been the forerunner in the field of energy storage, thereby increasing the dependence on backup power for both critical and semi-critical end-user applications." The technology has seen significant evolution over the years. With the majority of the battery components being recycled, concerns over the disposal of hazardous wastes have abated. The proliferation of data centers and growth in the telecommunications sector will fuel the demand for SLA batteries. The steady inflow of foreign direct investment into Asia that is boosting infrastructure development will positively influence the backup power equipment market, in turn augmenting the market for lead acid batteries. The current global economic situation is expected to affect original equipment sales of these batteries. However, aftermarket/replacement sales are likely to remain steady as users maintain existing equipment.

Low Availability and High Price of Raw Materials and Competition from Asia Pacific Vendors Cloud Market Prospects

The SLA market has witnessed fluctuating growth trends and as market maturity intensifies, profit margins narrow down regardless of consistent sales. This issue stems from depleting resources and increasing lead price volatility due to high competition and mounting pressure from niche regional vendors. Heavy dependence on metals and chemicals is adversely affecting battery manufacturers who have to confront the challenge of both the high price and scarcity of raw materials. The cost of lead skyrocketed in 2008 with far ranging repercussions encompassing increase in battery prices, shortened price list validity periods, lower profitability, and supplier concerns. Another factor reining in market progression is the lack of product originality, creating an intensely competitive environment for vendors engaged in differentiating their commodity products from those of others. Asia Pacific vendors manufacturing low-end, low-priced batteries for various applications too have impeded revenue growth. "Nonetheless, the criticality of backup power systems has been driven home after several major power failures in the recent past, and with the dependence on automated systems ever increasing, this market is expected to grow," says the analyst. "Additionally, with extended requirements for runtime of UPS equipment, as well as telecommunication backup system increasing battery runtime extended in many regions of the world through regulations such as FCC orders 07-107 and 07-177, end-users require reliable equipment and batteries to comply." Success in this market will depend largely on the vendor's ability to meet production capacities or control inventory supply impacted by fluctuating demand in several application markets. Vendors must keep abreast of the capabilities of newer applications to considerably enhance overall revenue growth for lead acid batteries.

Market Sectors

Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:

By Application Type:

• Telecommunication
• Uninterruptible power systems (UPS)
• Utility/switchgear
• Emergency lighting
• Security systems
• Cable television/broadcasting
• Oil and gas exploration
• Renewable energy systems
• Railway backup applications
• Others