Digital ePaper Displays Achieve a Power
Consumption of 0 W*1 During Use to Revolutionize the Dissemination
of Information in the Carbon-Neutral Era
E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TWO), the originator, pioneer and
global commercial leader in ePaper technology, and Sharp
Corporation (HQ: Sakai City, Osaka; President & CEO: Po-Hsuan
Wu), a leading company in the digital signage market, announced
their collaboration to bring ePaper posters using E Ink's
technology to market.
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Two side-by-side units of the 42-inch
monochrome ePaper display, or "ePoster." (Photo: Business Wire)
Digital signage is becoming increasingly popular, not only with
advertisers, but as a communication tool in public spaces and
facilities for transmitting information in a timely manner.
However, it is still common to see paper posters used in areas
where it is difficult to install digital signage, whether it is due
to an electrical supply not being available, or the surface on
which the signage would be installed does not have the necessary
load-bearing capacity.
E Ink has revolutionized a variety of markets—such as e-books,
digital notepads and electronic shelf labels—with their proprietary
digital paper technology that features the visibility and
portability of paper in a digital display format that requires no
power to display an image. Since entering the digital signage
business in 2005, Sharp has become a market leader with their
“Changing city scenery, changing office scenery” theme. They have
done this not only through the development of displays, but also
through offering a one-stop solution for digital displays—from
planning, production, consulting, and system construction to
installation and maintenance—that can fit any given installation
location.
Three years ago, the companies began collaborating with the goal
of combining their strengths to contribute to the carbon-neutral
era by popularizing digital posters. The potential of these digital
posters has been confirmed through marketing activities, such as
exhibiting prototype displays at exhibitions both within Japan and
around the globe. As the first step in this collaboration, Sharp
will release their 42-inch monochrome “ePoster” digital paper
display in the Japanese market in early April 2023. In addition to
having a power consumption of 0 W during display, it also uses
light reflected from outside sources to display its image,
providing optimal visibility even in bright environments. The
display is also thin and lightweight. Using their expertise in
installing and operating digital signage, along with their
extensive service network across Japan, Sharp will offer digital
poster options to replace paper posters in locations where digital
signage has been previously difficult to install.
“We are excited to work with Sharp on the expansion of their
ePaper ePoster,” stated Naoki Sumita, President, Sales &
Marketing, Japan, of E Ink. “As cities and communities look to
reduce their carbon footprint, E Ink offers a grid-free solution to
enable their sustainability efforts.”
Tetsuji Kawamura, Sharp executive officer and BU President of
Smart Business Solutions BU, affirmed, “We are honored to be able
to contribute to the development of the digital poster market with
E Ink, the leader in digital paper technology. When it comes to
digital signage, the achievement of digital posters with a power
consumption of 0 W during use is a ground-breaking step in working
towards creating a new market suitable for the carbon-neutral
era.”
In addition to working towards future advancements, such as
larger or color displays, both companies plan to strengthen their
collaboration. The two companies plan to expand their efforts
worldwide and develop a market for ePaper posters to serve as a new
tool to disseminate information in the carbon-neutral era.
*1 Power is consumed when the power is turned on and images are
changed (Including system standby time).
Estimated environmental impact of ePaper (researched by E
Ink)
E Ink has also been studying the CO2 effects of using paper
versus ePaper displays. Findings have shown significant CO2 savings
with the use of E Ink ePaper displays. Over the past seven years,
600 million electronic shelf labels (ESLs) of around three inches
in size have been installed worldwide. If it is assumed that the
price and information is changed four times a day, ePaper tags can
reduce CO2 emissions by 32,000 times*2 versus single-use paper
price tags.
*2 Comparing the amount of CO2 emitted in producing the
electricity needed to run 600 million ESLs of around three inches
in size for seven years with the amount of CO2 emitted in producing
600 million paper price tags of the same area size changed four
times a day for seven years.
About E Ink
E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TWO), based on technology from MIT’s
Media Lab, provides an ideal display medium for applications
spanning eReaders and eNotes, retail, home, hospital,
transportation, logistics, and more, enabling customers to put
displays in locations previously impossible. E Ink’s
electrophoretic display products make it the worldwide leader for
ePaper. Its low power displays enable customers to reach their
sustainability goals, and E Ink has pledged using 100% renewable
energy in 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. E
Ink is a member of the Climate Pledge, has joined the Science Based
Targets Initiative (SBTi), and has been listed as one of the
Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders by the Financial Times, Nikkei and
Statista in 2022. Listed in Taiwan's Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the
Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world's largest
supplier of ePaper displays. For more information please visit
www.eink.com. E Ink. We Make Surfaces Smart and Green.
About Sharp
Sharp will celebrate its 111th anniversary this year. Based on
the spirit of our founder, "Make products that other companies want
to imitate," it has continued to develop innovative products and
core technologies over many years, contributing to the development
of the electrical industry. Currently, under the business vision of
"Changing the world with 8K+5G and AIoT", it focuses on eight key
areas: "Smart Home", "Smart Office", "Healthcare", "Entertainment",
"Education", "Industry", "Security" and "Mobility" to expand its
business.
In addition, Sharp promotes the practice of "management with an
emphasis on ESG" and accelerates efforts toward carbon neutrality
in the environmental field. Under the long-term environmental
vision “SHARP Eco Vision 2050,” it has set long-term goals for 2050
in the three fields of “climate change,” “resource recycling,” and
“safety and security.” Under these goals, Sharp aims to promote its
business while realizing a sustainable global environment. For more
information, please visit https://global.sharp/.
● “ePoster” is a pending registered trademark of Sharp
Corporation.
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E Ink: Anna Halstead Racepoint Global 617-624-3213
eink@racepointglobal.com