Awards

Sharp's energy management service "Life Eee Connect," which integrates solar power generation systems with home appliances and residential equipment to reduce electricity costs, has won the Director-General of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Award in the product and service category at the New Energy Award 2024, organized by the New Energy Foundation (sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).

The New Energy Award is a system that recognizes excellent examples of the development of equipment and services related to new energy and the use of distributed energy, with the aim of promoting the introduction of new energy such as solar power.

On January 29, at the award ceremony held at Tokyo Big Sight (Koto-ku, Tokyo), Hirozumi Gokaku, President, Member of the Board of Sharp Energy Solutions Corporation (SESJ), received the Director-General of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Award.

■ Features of the "Life Eee Connect" and the reason for the award
"Life Eee Connect" is an energy management service that intelligently controls home appliances and residential equipment on behalf of customers using Sharp’s proprietary AI in households with installed solar power generation systems. This service, which applies AI control developed through battery control, was launched in November 2023 as the industry's first service to reduce electricity purchases by integrating control of solar power generation systems with home appliances and residential equipment. So far, it has achieved integration with air conditioners, water heaters, refrigerators, and drum-type washer-dryers.

The service was recognized for its effective use of surplus electricity through AI control of home appliances and residential equipment, achieving efficient electricity cost reduction, and for utilizing the common communication standard for IoT devices, "ECHONET Lite," making it applicable to appliances and residential equipment from other manufacturers. These factors led to this award.

Sharp will continue to expand services utilizing solar power generation systems and battery systems, contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality for society as a whole.

"Life Eee Connect" was on display at the award corner of ENEX2025, 49th Energy and Environment Exhibition held at Tokyo Big Sight from January 29 to January 31, 2025.