On October 1, 2009, Sharp Corporation started operations at its new LCD panel plant (SDP*²) in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Construction began in November 2007 on Sharp’s state-of-the-art manufacturing complex— Sharp Green Front Sakai*¹— which includes this LCD panel plant as well as another plant for thin-film solar cells.*³

The LCD panel plant is the first facility in the world to adopt 10th-generation glass substrates. Using Sharp’s proprietary UV²A*⁴ photo-alignment technology, the plant is capable of producing high-contrast, energy-efficient panels of 40 inches and larger, marking a new era in large displays.

Sharp Green Front Sakai*¹ will bring the world two environmentally friendly products: energy-saving LCD panels and energy-creating solar panels. Sharp aims to make this complex an environmentally advanced production base through such environmental measures as adopting LEDs for all indoor and outdoor lighting (approximately 100,000 LED lights) throughout the complex. In addition, Sharp will install solar panels on all factory roofs to provide some of the needed electricity.

Sharp Green Front Sakai*¹ is the new driving force behind Sharp’s efforts to make environmentally friendly products at an environmentally conscious plant, thus helping to realize a greener society.