Sharp 2009 Annual Report Download - page 25

The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. and the City of Sakai to promote the Sakai City
Waterfront Mega Solar Power Generation Plan. Outside of Japan, meanwhile, Sharp
made progress in discussions with Italian power company Enel SpA to establish a joint
venture and to collaborate in producing thin-film solar cells. The joint venture is to oper-
ate as an independent power producer using photovoltaic power generation. In the field
of solar cells, Sharp will continue working to realize a new business model of local pro-
duction for local consumption, while taking steps to reduce the materials cost and
improve the conversion efficiency of solar cells to raise their cost performance.
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This product group posted significantly lower sales and income as the slowdown in
the mobile phone market and other factors caused sales of electronic components
such as CCD/CMOS imagers to decline.
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Sharp enhanced its business structure for electronic devices by merging its previous LSI
and electronic components units. With the new structure, we set out to develop distinc-
tive devices that contribute to the advancement of applied products. The results of these
efforts included an 8 mega-pixel CCD camera module that can take clear pictures even in
dark environments and a tuner module for a One Seg terrestrial broadcast receiver that
enables reception of two broadcasts simultaneously. Sharp focused on LEDs, a promis-
ing growth technology in the current climate of increasing environmental awareness.
Sharp expanded its line-up of LED devices and related devices including LED driver ICs
and power supply modules for lighting. Going forward, we are leveraging our strengths
in a variety of devices to enhance our development of LEDs and to create new solution
devices as part of our effort to expand our business.
Chip LED (Side view type)
One Seg receiver tuner module
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The 21st Century Manufacturing Complex will produce LCD panels and thin-film
solar cells. All companies participating in this complex will work as one virtual com-
pany to reduce unnecessary production processes and energy consumption to a
minimum, in order to realize an ultimate eco-friendly complex.
The LCD panel plant is scheduled to commence operation in October 2009.
Using the world’s first 10th generation glass substrates along with numerous inno-
vative LCD technologies, the plant will produce the highest standard LCDs for TVs
in the industry.
Preparations are under way to begin operation of the solar cell plant by March 2010.
21st Century Manufacturing Complex under
construction in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture
(Photo taken May 2009)
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