Panasonic going green

This year the company is trying to cut CO2 output in the process by 11,000 tonnes.

The company's home-appliances division produces household electronic appliances including refrigerators, air-conditioners and heating systems as well as "information devices".

Division manager Setsuo Mizoguchi said all manufacturing released CO2, which led to global warming. He said it was "very challenging" to reduce CO2 in the manufacturing process because the company increased capacity by 10 to 15 per cent every year.

The division has consolidated three air-conditioner production lines that were located in three buildings at its main Japanese plant into one line.

The plant produces 1 million air-conditioners a year, while two other plants, in China and Malaysia, produce 3.5 million and 1.8 million units respectively.

The company started its CO2-output reduction programme in 2007, following what it calls Panasonic Eco Ideas for Products, Eco Ideas for Manufacturing and Eco Ideas for Everybody, Everywhere.

Mizoguchi said that under the three concepts Panasonic would deliver energy-efficient products, reduce CO2 emissions and encourage environmental activities throughout the world.

The reduction of CO2 in the home-appliances division is part of the company's goal to cut CO2 production in all of its business by 3.87 million tonnes in fiscal 2009.

He said the division had developed new technologies aimed at helping its products use energy efficiently. One of these is a vacuum heat-insulation panel, which is designed to be used in many products, such as refrigerators, because it can prevent heat loss and reduce energy waste by 50 per cent.

Another technology being developed is a fuel-cell system that can not only generate electric power but also supply hot water. Panasonic plans to officially launch the system commercially in Japan in April and targets selling 15,000 units in the first year.