SANYO, based on the theme of environment, will display its 'SUNPLANT' installation which was designed in collaboration with Toshiyuki Kita, one of the world's most recognized designers, at the Milano Capital Del Design 'GREEN ENERGY DESIGN' event. SANYO is the only electronics company to display at the 'GREEN ENERGY DESIGN' event, an event in which 10 world-famous architects and designers will be presenting and displaying their installations, which are the result of collaboration with participating companies. Also, there will be another display at a sub-site located in a show window of the La Rinascente shopping area in front of the Milano Duomo Square reinforcing the 'SUNPLANT' display.

　The 'SUNPLANT' is an installation that incorporates SANYO's reusable 'eneloop' batteries and highly efficient 'HIT' solar cells, and takes the form of a tree with the solar panels acting as leaves on the branches, collecting sunlight and sending the power partly to LED lights on the installation, whilst displaying the ability to charge 'eneloop' rechargeable batteries through clean energy.
The 'SUNPLANT' was born from the concepts of SANYO's brand vision 'Think GAIA' and the eneloop universe product line-up based on it which emphasizes clean natural energy from the sun powering the electronic devices found around people everyday with batteries that can be reused and recycled. Agreeing with this concept, Toshiyuki Kita proposed the 'SUNPLANT' installation design as a way to capture the future of energy and power in a very familiar-type object, a plant.
*Height 375cm
*The SUNPLANT installation partly powers the LED lights whilst on display

　Additionally, during Milano Salone the Japan Industrial Design Association will be hosting the 'JAPAN DESIGN 2008 - Innovation - ' event, in which SANYO's eneloop universe products which have won design awards, including the Good Design Grand Prize 2007 in Japan, and the iF product design award 2008, will be displayed, further promoting the reuse lifestyle.

　HIT is an abbreviation for heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer. HIT photovoltaic cells are solar cells with a unique structure developed by SANYO. AN HIT photovoltaic cell is a hybrid cell composed of a crystalline silicon wafer surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers. Due to its excellent features such as high energy conversion efficiency and temperature properties, it has achieved the world's highest power generation per installation area. The SANYO Group is striving to develop and disseminate clean energy technology using solar power, and has introduced solar power generation systems at 10 major company facilities in Japan to play a role in reducing CO₂ emissions. Through this, in fiscal year 2006 an emission reduction of 474,000 tons^* in CO₂ equivalent.
*CO₂ emission factor for purchased electricity (0.425 kg-CO₂/kWh) is used for calculation.

　'eneloop' is a concept based on recycling, or looping, energy. The first product in a series that embodies this concept is SANYO's "eneloop" battery, a battery which proposes a lifestyle where batteries can be used repeatedly. These batteries can be immediately used out-of-the-package following purchase, be recharged and used for approximately 1,000 times, and be recycled after being completely used. In addition, as the first product realizing SANYO's 'Think GAIA' brand vision, the 'eneloop' battery has been very popular in the market and the total shipment amount has reached approximately 44 million units to 60 countries across the world (as of January, 2008) since its release in November 2005.

　Also, the 'eneloop universe' was created as a group of products based on the 'eneloop' concept. For example, energy captured from the power of the sun can be used to recharge 'eneloop' batteries, which in turn can be used in everyday products requiring batteries. The batteries can be used over and over again, creating not only a line-up of products that can be reused, but help to promote a clean energy society. The series of products that embody this concept are those included in the 'eneloop universe'.

Date of Birth: 5th November 1942
Kita extended his creative field from Japan to Italy and to the international arena as an environmental and industrial designer since 1969. He has created many hit products for European and Japanese manufacturers, ranging from furniture, LCD TV sets, robots to household goods and appliances. Many of his works are possessed by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, and other museums around the world.
In recent years, he has been promoting education by holding seminars and workshops not only in Japan, but also in Europe and Asia. He continues to be involved in his lifelong devotion to working with traditional crafts and developing local industries.

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