Visitors also had the opportunity to learn more about how the Panasonic Group is tackling Carbon Neutral challenges and promoting Circular Economy initiatives in its products and solutions as it advances toward the broader goal of contributing to realizing sustainable lifestyles and society.
The Carbon Neutral display was organized into three main technologies/approaches: “Updating,” “Electrifying,” and “Harnessing.”
“Updating” means replacing existing methods with low environmental impact alternatives to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Hussmann display cases for refrigerated and frozen goods use natural refrigerant R290 to greatly reduce environmental impact compared to traditional CFC refrigerant alternatives currently in use.
“Electrifying” represents the transition from fossil fuels to electric power and making the most of renewable energy. Panasonic Group is a leader in automotive battery cells, having delivered more than 15 billion units to date—enough to power three million EVs worldwide. Visitors were able to check out the Panasonic 2170 cell, which features the world’s highest energy density, as well as the new Panasonic 4680 cell, which has a capacity around five times greater than the 2170 cell. The company’s efforts with Redwood Materials, Inc. and Nouveau Monde Graphite, Inc. to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve a sustainable society were also available for visitors to explore. Finally, they could learn more about Panasonic HX, an advanced energy management system that coordinates pure hydrogen fuel cells, solar cells, and storage batteries to efficiently supply renewable energy in response to changes in electricity demand and weather conditions.
“Harnessing” is an approach that uses natural resources to produce cleaner resources, leading to CO2 reduction and absorption. One technology aiding the approach is the anion exchange membrane water electrolysis, a device enabling highly efficient and low-cost green hydrogen production. A fully developed anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrode made of iron and nickel was on display in the area. Visitors could also see a life-size mockup of window-mounted perovskite solar cells which demonstrated the transparency and design flexibility of this unique power-generating technology. Also on display was the growth stimulant Novitek®, a technology that uses ambient CO2 in combination with cyanobacteria, a type of photosynthetic microorganism, to increase food productivity.