Panasonic Corp of Japan has launched a new series of white goods (Fig 1) stressing reduced energy consumption, thanks to the use of sensors to minimize wasteful operation. Large numbers of sensors monitor usage status and optimize appliance operation accordingly, maintaining comfort, convenience and other characteristics while slashing energy waste. In the past operating parameters not equipped with sensors were, in principle, set to maximum, causing wastage. The increased number of sensors heightens status analysis accuracy, making possible more detailed control and thereby boosting energy saving through the use of home energy management system (HEMS).
The firm has dubbed the sensor-driven, energy-saving function "Eco Navi." The direct ancestor of the line was the toilet seat released in 2005 offering "instantly heated" warm-water wash. The success of that product helped the company recognize the need for other products offering energy savings without sacrificing convenience, eventually leading the use of the "Eco Navi" catchphrase for the function concept throughout the whole home appliance line.
The first product types announced were two washing machines and six refrigerators, while five existing product types (dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, fluorescent lamp, "Eco Cute" hot water heater and warm-water wash toilet seat) with equivalent functions were labeled with the "Eco Navi" name, bringing the total to seven (Table 1). An air conditioner to be released in the near future is also scheduled to come with "Eco Navi," pointing up how Panasonic has positioned the function as a common feature of its entire line.
Goal: 30% Market
ShareThe firm selected "saving energy" as the unifying theme covering all its product lines, and has now established "Eco Navi" as the key phrase for even greater energy savings. The goals of Panasonic's strategy are to satisfy replacement cycle demand and energy efficiency demand.
A source at the firm explained that in refrigerators, for example, there are few significantly new features, and the replacement cycle is a relatively long ten years or so. In the Japan market total sales volume for 1994-96 was 14.8 million units, but this dropped by about two million units for the 2005-07 period, to 12.78 million. In washing machines, on the other hand, the appearance of the slanted-drum design washer/dryer offering reduced water consumption boosted sales volume by about two million units, from 11.4 million in 1994-96 to 13.2 million.
Increased environmental awareness has boosted the need for improved energy efficiency, but without new functions to provide change in lifestyle it is difficult to move up the replacement cycle. Recognizing this, Panasonic hopes to use the energy-saving performance of the "Eco Navi" function itself to stand out, serving both replacement demand and energy efficiency demand.
By using the same catchphrase for multiple appliances, the company believes that a customer happy with the energy-saving performance of one appliance will be more likely to buy another in the same line. Panasonic hopes to hold over 30% of the domestic market in white goods overall.
If home appliances equipped with large numbers of sensors can swap measurement results, operating status information and other data with external systems, making it possible to utilize such data for home equipment control energy management and similar tasks, then it might well be possible to slash energy consumption even more.
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