Harmony with Nature
Preventing Global Warming
Alps Electric reduces its CO2 emissions through improvements to facilities, like the introduction of highly efficient systems and upgrading of energy-efficient production facilities, and to operation of compressors and air conditioning systems, and also by raising employee awareness through regular energy conservation patrols.
Our CO2 emissions totaled 49,122 tons in fiscal 2009, continuing our year-on-year achievements in emissions reduction. Emissions per unit of output also decreased.
Initiatives at Bases
Alcom Electronicos de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
Alcom Electronicos won second place in the medium-sized businesses category of a 2009 energy-saving activities competition run by Mexico’s Trust Fund for Electric Energy Savings (FIDE). The company managed to reduce energy consumption by 22% compared to 2008 through efforts such as installing insulating materials, switching to high-efficiency cooling systems, and improving the efficiency of air conditioning systems.
Headquarters
New Headquarters Building
Alps Electric began reconstructing its headquarters building (Tokyo) in 2007 and completed this reconstruction in April 2010. The completed building uses a building and energy management system (BEMS) to measure its energy consumption and in conjunction the building’s central monitoring system controls the efficient operation of electrical devices used within the building. For example during the summer months, equipment cools water at night when the cost of electricity is lower, and uses the cooled water during the day in its air-conditioning. The monitoring system also automatically controls the number of boilers used at one time depending on their workload and utilizes the flow of outside air into the building to reduce workload on the building’s air-conditioners. These systems have helped the headquarters building reduce its consumption of electricity (per unit of floor space) by 28.4% from fiscal 2007 levels. In addition, this building has been certified with the highest possible rank (S) in Japan’s Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE).
Alps Korea
Since 2008 Alps Electric Korea has encouraged employees and their families to reduce personal consumption of electricity in order to help reduce global warming. For example families would set goals like reducing the number of times they would use their car for work or use elevators, and report whether they were able to achieve their goals or not. In fiscal 2009, 97% of employees and their families had set goals and 96% of them had achieved them.
Human Resources Department
Alejandro Segura Ladron de Guevara
Entering the competition was extremely worthwhile because we learned a lot about other companies' energy-saving projects. I'm pleased we went ahead as not many companies from maquiladora manufacturing zones participate in events like this.