Sharp Jumps into North American Energy Storage Market

Consumer electronics giant Sharp Electronics, Osaka, Japan, has been active around the margins of the electrical industry for some years, with plays in solar photovoltaic panels and LED lighting. The company recently scaled back its involvement in the European solar market, but recently announced its entry into the new and potentially high-growth market for energy storage solutions for commercial and industrial buildings.

With a new product line called SmartStorage, which includes lithium-ion batteries and the option for solar power production, Sharp is backing its offering with a 10 year service and performance warranty. Sharp will offer the systems in California initially and has distribution agreements in place to start that, and plans to roll it out in other markets.

SmartStorage keeps a large amount of electric energy stored in reserve, which it selectively releases in order to limit a facility's electricity demand. The system employs predictive controls to manage the release of this energy, resulting in high performance, high system efficiency and world-class reliability, the company said in a release.

The products were developed by the company’s Sharp Laboratories of America, in Camas, Wash., and the company says they represent a unique energy storage solution that can cut utility demand for commercial and industrial building operators.

Separately, Eco-Shift Power Corp., Cambridge, Ontario, said it signed a letter of intent with another Sharp division, Sharp Manufacturing Co. of America, to collaborate on wireless high-bay LED lighting technologies for the North American market.