Global Warming Countermeasures

We have set goals for 2012 of reducing baseline CO2 emissions from energy consumption by 4% and from logistical operations by 10%.

Reduce CO2 emissions from energy consumption
Reduce by 1% from base level ⇒ 6.6% increase

Reduce CO2 emissions in logistical operations
Reduce by 2% from base level ⇒ 17% reduction at USHIO INC., examined methods for quantifying Group emissions

Carbon dioxide emissions by the Harima Division account for roughly 31% of the USHIO Group's total emissions. The Harima Plant is tackling emissions through three working groups: the Production Working Group, the Administration Working Group, and the Life Test Working Group. In fiscal 2010, the three working groups carried out joint patrols to check power consumption monitors, and worked to increase the efficiency of production processes. Meanwhile, the amount of electric power consumed in life testing has grown significantly due to an increase in the items under development. We are therefore working to effect power-reduction improvements in this area.

The CO2 emissions of the Gotemba Division account for around 10% of the USHIO Group's total. Since most of the products manufactured at the Gotemba Division are assembly-type products, the power used for air conditioning accounts for a relatively high proportion of the division’s overall power consumption. The division has worked to reduce the energy used in administration departments by promoting improved operation of air conditioners, upgrading them to power-saving models, and installing LED lighting. Moreover, the division has carried out emergency electricity saving measures as requested by the Japanese government, along with electricity saving measures for the summer season. The division implemented electricity saving efforts by using an electricity monitoring system, and by reviewing floor operations. These efforts to save electricity will be continued going forward.

BLV Licht-und Vakuumtechnik GmbH uses heat given off by life tests on heat lamps to help heat its warehouses.It is also establishing new standards for life test facilities predicated on using the heat given off by lamps for 2 kW stadium lighting.

Ushio America's Oregon Operation Division reviewed the lighting facilities currently installed at its plant. Reducing power consumption has the largest impact on CO2 emissions reduction and it also helps lower costs. The plant therefore converted its current four-foot fluorescent lights to energy efficient light bulbs handled by Ushio America. The plant expects the new light bulbs to both conserve energy and produce cost savings. At the Cypress Office, it was decided to sign up a new online electricity consumption monitoring program, which was made available by the local power company. Using the program the office will monitor and analyze usage patterns in order to identify any items that consume vast amounts of power and to see if the power consumption level can be linear throughout the day, not exceeding 200kW at any time. If we have three days or more per year of the power consumption exceeding 200 kW, the electric company places us in a higher pricing bracket.

At CHRISTIE DIGITAL SYSTEMS U.S.A., INC. a “van pool” vehicle-sharing program was implemented to give workers who live in remote areas a shorter commute time. The van pool is a system for arranging the picking up five to 10 employees who live relatively close to one another on the way into the office. Employees who participate in the program park their vehicles in a convenient location close to their homes, and are picked up by a van that takes them to work. The program has proved useful in combating traffic congestion in California, which has many cars. The program has many other benefits too, including reducing the impact of commuting on the environment by cutting CO2 emissions, and reducing individual consumption of gasoline and vehicle maintenance costs. What’s more, the van is allowed to use a dedicated “car-pool lane”, a road traffic lane for use only by vehicles carrying two or more people, thereby contributing to the cutting of the commute time by more than half.

In June 2010, HYOGO USHIO LIGHTING, INC. introduced a gas heat-pump air conditioning system at its Naka plant. The air conditioner was operated at full power during the unusually hot summer of 2010, and it proved to be extremely efficient. It helped to reduce CO2 emissions by around 10% each month compared to the previous year.

With our production volume increasing, it has become extremely difficult to achieve our target reductions on CO2 emissions from energy use. Despite having to take other measures in response to power shortages following the March 2011 earthquake, we will also focus on the following initiatives. 1) Take measures and reinforce links between all sites with the premise that energy is a cost 2) Focus on measures and information sharing targeting the top four CO2-emitting sites. 3) To reduce CO2 in logistics operations, create mechanisms to tie cost-cutting through efficiency to CO2 reduction. 4) Examine other options for reducing emissions apart from reducing fixed energy consumption, such as emissions trading, etc.