Panasonic's move to buy Sanyo is mildly interesting to gadget fans. It turns out that the company's latest corporate maneuver is even more interesting to folks that follow green technologies. According to this AP report in The Japan Times, what's really driving the takeover is Sharp's cleantech catalog.

The ability to acquire Sanyo's two green-energy pillars, solar-cell technology and rechargeable batteries, are what drove Panasonic to announce this month it would negotiate a deal with Sanyo's main stockholders, Goldman Sachs Inc., Daiwa Securities SMBC and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Co.

As profits generated by personal electronic continue to erode, Panasonic seems to be looking for other opportunities...

While Sanyo's solar panels are being used to generate electricity for homes and businesses — and are presumably going to enjoy higher demand because of climate-change fears — Panasonic does not have a solar panel operation.

Sanyo also leads in rechargeable batteries, widely used in laptops and mobile phones. Their uses are expected to grow in cars, including hybrids and electric vehicles, as emissions standards tighten. Panasonic makes batteries for Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles, but picking up Sanyo would be key because it supplies batteries for Volkswagen AG, Honda Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co.

So there you have it. Should we expect similar moves by other electronics giants?