Prevention of global warming is a corporate mission
The Kyoto Protocol commitment period started in April 2008. Japan has set a target of reducing CO2 emissions by 6% from 1990 levels. To achieve this target, the whole country from government to businesses and homes must take concrete steps to reduce CO2 emissions. The electric and electronic industries have formulated their own voluntary environmental action plans and are working to achieve their program goals. Pioneer participates in the voluntary environmental action plan of Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and has set a voluntary target of 36% in an effort to achieve the 35% reduction in CO2 emissions per unit of actual production* from 1990 levels during the commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol from 2008 to 2012 which is the target of the electric and electronic industries. In addition, the company is also working to reducing total emissions.
* Actual production is calculated by dividing the fiscal year production by the Bank of Japan domestic corporate goods price index for electrical equipment based on FY1990 (0.399 for FY2011).
Reducing CO2 Emissions
Pioneer is striving to reduce its CO2 emissions by tackling reduction of energy consumption at its production plants head-on. Until FY2006, CO2 emissions increased over 1990, the base year for measuring emission reductions, but they have since fallen as a result of our energy conservation efforts and reduced production.
Greenhouse Gas emissions
In Japan GHG emissions are calculated using emission coefficients of each electric power company, reflecting the Kyoto Mechanism credit. Overseas, emission coefficients of "Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative (2006)" are used.
Emissions per Unit of Actual Production
As a member of the electrical and electronics industry, Pioneer is working towards a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions per unit of actual production from 1990 levels during the commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol from 2008 to 2012. In addition, Pioneer has set a voluntary reduction target of 36%. In FY2011 the index of domestic GHG emissions became 41% of FY1991 emissions.
Promoting the use of photovoltaic power
Photovoltaic system atPioneer's Kawagoe Plant
Pioneer is actively promoting the introduction and use of photovoltaic power as a part of its overall greenhouse gas reduction efforts. In this context, the Company is currently conducting field tests for new photovoltaic technologies in conjunction with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). In its initial phase, this joint research project involved the installation of a 150kW photovoltaic power system at Pioneer Micro Technology Corporation (MTC) in Yamanashi Prefecture in March 2007. This system is being used to power, powering part of MTC's manufacturing line. More recently, a 30kW photovoltaic power system was installed at the Company's Kawagoe Plant in Saitama Prefecture in February 2009. This system is being used to power the business site. Utilizing a dedicated line, the status and details of solar power generated at the Kawagoe Plant are relayed hourly to NEDO. At the same time, electricity output is displayed on a real time basis through a monitor located in the Plant lobby. Through these means, Pioneer has established a framework that allows interested parties to visually confirm the Company's efforts to contribute to the environment. Looking ahead, the Pioneer Group will proactively promote efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by leveraging the benefits of such clean energy alternatives as photovoltaic power generation and further enhancing electricity consumption efficiency.
Energy Saving Ideas
HeadquartersPioneer's Headquarters, completed in April 2007, is a design and development base for home electronic products and many of its engineers are working on energy saving and environmental impact reduction of products. Various measures were incorporated into the construction of the plant in order to reduce energy consumption in its daily business activities. The plant embodies the Pioneer approach of reducing the environmental impact of its products and the energy consumed in its daily production activities.
The Kawasaki facility became the Company's headquarters starting in November 2009.
Natural ventilation using the chimney effect of the loading area
Normally, loading areas require fans to ventilate the exhaust fumes from trucks in the area, but at the Kawasaki Plant we have switched to natural ventilation using the chimney effect created by connecting the vehicle entrance/exit with the wellhole. This has eliminated the need for mechanical ventilation using fans, thereby reducing power consumption.
Reducing air-conditioning energy
The Headquarters has adopted an ice thermal storage system for the air conditioners in the office area. The system produces ice at night when energy demand is low and uses the ice for air conditioning during the daytime, thus reducing power consumption. In addition, the executive offices use total heat exchangers to reuse the heat discharged from warm rooms during wintertime heating, further reducing air conditioning energy.
Adopting a building energy management system
BEMS monitorThe plant's equipment management office collects data on power consumption and utilization using the building energy management system (BEMS). This data is then utilized to support power consumption management, including daily monitoring of optimized operations, checking departments with conspicuously high power consumption and analyzing reductions in consumption.
LEDs used to illuminate Pioneer logo
Logo illumination by LEDsLEDs are now being used to illuminate the Pioneer logo on the north and south sides of the building. This has reduced energy consumption to one-third of the amount compared with fluorescent lighting.
Brightening dining areas with natural light from large windows
The Employee CafeteriaOther energy saving measures
- Measures against the summer sun and west sun
- Transformer operation by appropriate load factor
- Adoption of high-efficiency transformers
- Adoption of automatic power factor regulators
- Adoption of high-efficiency fluorescent lighting
- Adoption of water-saving sanitary appliances
- Maintaining appropriate illuminance with light sensors and controllers
- Turning off lights in empty rooms using motion sensors
Energy Saving by Heat Discharge
Reflow furnace areaAt Towada Pioneer in Aomori Prefecture, we succeeded in saving energy by focusing on the heat discharged from the reflow furnace on the circuit board assembly line. More precisely, we increased the heat exhaust speed by changing the setting on the duct fan inverter that discharges the heat from the reflow furnace to outside. In this way, we were able to create a comfortable environment of about 25℃ around the reflow furnace. In addition, there was no longer any need to operate the special blower which previously was keep running for 24 hours to lower the room temperature. In four months, CO2 emissions were reduced by approximately 19 tonnes.
Introduction of NaS Batteries
NaS batteries introduced by Pioneer Micro TechnologyIn May 2009, Pioneer Micro Technology Corporation in Yamanashi Prefecture commenced usage of NaS batteries, which can store large quantities of electric power with a rated output of 2,000 kWh. This is possible thanks to the battery's ability to store electricity during nighttime hours when energy use is low, and then discharge it in response to daytime usage peaks.
