[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]As well as thrusting the “100 Thousand Solar Lanterns Project” to donate a total of 100 thousand solar lanterns to the regions without electricity by 2018, the company’s centennial, Panasonic Corporation (TOKYO:6752) has launched “Cut Out the Darkness,” a project to deliver solar lanterns and shades based on designs contributed by participants to homes and schools in the non-electrified regions. The company seeks to involve people around the world in the project and to make those participants aware of issues in the regions without electricity.

Currently, about 1.32 billion people are without access to electricity worldwide, and many homes in the regions use kerosene lamps for lighting, but the fire and smoke from these lamps pose serious fire and health risks. Unable to get sufficient light, there are also significant restrictions as to what people can do at night. The lack of electric lighting in the regions means significant challenges in the areas of health, education, and the economy. However, solar lanterns enable users to charge electricity during the daytime, save it in the secondary battery, and use the electricity for lighting at night, thus helping to solve social issues in non-electrified regions by curbing fire and health risks, and emission of CO2 by kerosene lamps.

The “Cut Out the Darkness” project website offers its own unique application that enables users to design a cutout and see a virtual shade image on-screen while working on the design. When finishing the design, the design can be submitted online, and displayed in the “Design Archives.” Based on a popularity poll by site visitors, the best 100 shade designs are chosen and fabricated by laser cutter into lantern shades true to the original cutout designs. Moreover, original designs contributed by eleven globally acclaimed paper-cut artists, who are supporting the project, are also showcased on the site and made into lantern shades. Solar lanterns and shades, including those made from selected designs by a popularity poll and from designs contributed by paper-cut artists, are delivered to homes and schools in non-electrified regions.

The “Cut Out the Darkness” project allows people around the world to participate easily, because the entire process from design to submission is completed online. We cordially hope people around the world recognize the challenges in non-electrified regions, and show favor and support to Panasonic’s “100 Thousand Solar Lantern Project” by participating in the “Cut Out the Darkness” project.