New device from Sharp lets you track solar power generation via the web

Serkan Toto

Dr. Serkan Toto is an independent consultant and advisor focusing on Japan’s web, mobile and social gaming industries. Based in Tokyo, he works together with financial institutions and startups worldwide. Serkan has been the Japan contributor for TechCrunch.com since 2008. He is sept-lingual, holds an MBA and is a PhD in economics. → Learn More

Monday, February 16th, 2009

sharp_jh-rwl1It seems Japan is all about solar power lately. On April 1, Sharp Japan will release the JH-RWL1 [JP], an Internet-enabled device that allows households to monitor the performance of their  solar power generation systems remotely.

The device features a 7-inch color LCD (W-VGA, 800×480 resolution) that shows production levels, energy currently stored and how much surplus electricity can be sold to power companies. It can also be connected to PCs, AQUOS TVs and – of course – to cell phones.

sharp_jh-rwl1_2

Sharp said the MSRP for the JH-RWL1 is $1,100 and that they aim to sell 700 units a month to household customers. The company didn’t say whether the device will ever make it outside Japan.

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