Sharp is increasing production of solar panels at its factory in Japan to meet burgeoning global demand for the products, it said Monday.The company, which was recently tapped to supply more than 9,000 panels to power Google’s Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, said it would raise annual production capacity by a fifth to reach 600 megawatts per year.Sharp is already one of the largest manufacturers of solar panels, and with the expansion the factory, in Katsuragi, will have the largest output in the world of solar panels, Osaka-based Sharp said. It will spend about 3.5 billion yen (US$30 million) on the expansion and expects it to be completed in November.The solar panels in question use photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity. Such panels are becoming increasingly popular in consumer and industrial power systems around the world. Sales of solar panels by Sharp totaled 80.8 billion yen in the April-to-September period this year, the company said last week. For the current financial year, from April 2006, Sharp expects solar panel sales to be 200 billion yen, which if achieved will be up 27 percent on the previous financial year.-Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau) Related Links: Sharp Translator Helps Tourists Sharp Develops Triple-View LCD Sharp Prototype Ups High-Res Display AnteCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content BrandPost Are tech layoffs inevitable, or can your company avoid them? Despite tech industry layoffs, one ITSM company remains committed to growth and expansion of internal teams. The company’s successful endeavor is largely credited to one difference between TOPdesk and other tech organizations. By TOPdesk Mar 30, 2023 6 mins IT Leadership Analysis CIOs must evolve to stave off existential threat to their role With LOB leaders learning tech faster than CIOs gain business-savvy, IT leaders must strengthen advisory skills, build relationships, and embrace strategic transformation before losing out to business counterparts. By Yashvendra Singh Mar 30, 2023 10 mins Roles Opinion 5 ways AI will transform CRM Recent announcements by Microsoft and Salesforce on how they’re ramping up integration of AI tools into their software offerings mark the start of a revolution in the CRM marketplace. By Martin De Saulles Mar 30, 2023 4 mins Channel Sales CRM Systems Artificial Intelligence Interview From CIO to CX SVP, Cisco’s Jacqueline Guichelaar takes a road less travelled By David Binning Mar 29, 2023 7 mins Careers IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe