Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that its Yorii Automobile Plant at Saitama Factory and Transmission Plant at Hamamatsu Factory will receive the Chairman Prize of the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ) respectively, within the Successful Case of Energy Conservation Category, for the Energy Conservation Grand Prize for Excellent Energy Conservation Equipment.
Since the fiscal year 1990, the ECCJ has sponsored the Energy Conservation Grand Prize for Excellent Energy Conservation Equipment to recognize Japanese businesses that promote energy conservation efforts and develop energy-saving products and/or business models.
This is the first time for Honda to simultaneously receive two out of the five prizes awarded in this category. The five awards are: 1) Minister Prize of Economic, Trade and Industry, 2) Director-General Prize of Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, 3) Director-General’s Prize of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, 4) Chairman Prize of ECCJ and 5) Reviewer’s Prize.
Since the 1960s, Honda has made active efforts in solving environmental issues. In June 1992, the “Honda Environment Statement” was announced to organize and articulate the basic stance Honda had developed until that time to reduce environmental impacts at every stage in the life cycle of its products. Being true to the spirit of the Honda Environment Statement, Honda has been providing environmentally-responsible products and strongly promoting activities that contribute to both the development of the local community and conservation of the global environment.
The commendation ceremony will be held on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at Tokyo Big Sight.
Key achievements by the Yorii Automobile Plant
Yorii Automobile Plant achieved 30% reduction in energy use per automobile produced compared to a conventional Honda automobile plant*1 through the introduction of Honda’s state-of-the-art production technologies and establishment of a high-efficiency production system that enabled the plant to carry out various energy-saving measures.
Innovativeness and originality:
- Painting process: Reduced CO2 emissions by 40%*1 through the development of the industry’s first short process painting technology*2.
- Bumper painting process: Reduced CO2 emissions by 42%*1 through the introduction of new air-recycling technology equipped with the dry spray booth.
- Welding process: Reduced CO2 emissions by 70%*1 through the adoption of a new roller hemming method.
Energy-saving:
- Compared to the conventional air-conditioning system, a new system introduced to the Yorii Automobile Plant reduced CO2 emissions by 40% through various measures including making the plant building more well-insulated and airtight, adding windbreak walls, minimizing doorways and introducing a displacement ventilation/air conditioning method that enabled air conditioning of work areas only.
- Compared to the conventional lighting system, a new system adopted by the Yorii Automobile Plant reduced CO2 emissions by 48%*1 through the use of LED lights for 88% of the total number of lights installed and making efficient use of sensors (detecting people and luminance).
- Through the installation of a natural gas-powered cogeneration system with 8,730 kW capacity, the Yorii Automobile Plant reduced its peak amount of electricity use by 45% and reduced annual CO2 emissions by approximately 3,000 t.
- Yorii Automobile Plant features a 2.6 MW-capacity solar photovoltaic power system that reduces annual CO2 emissions by approximately 1,200 t. The heat insulating effect gained from the installation of solar panels on the top of the building roof contributes to the reduction of air-conditioning load.
Versatility:
- Technologies introduced and established at the Yorii Automobile Plant will be itemized and shared in the form of a catalogue and evolved horizontally to other Honda operations inside and outside of Japan while taking account of the unique characteristics of each region.
Sustainable improvement:
- Yorii Automobile Plant features the Factory Energy Management System (FEMS) to monitor and manage the energy consumption (attainment of targets) of each area of production and to sustain its energy-conservation efforts.
Key achievements by the Hamamatsu Plant
Hamamatsu Plant achieved a 93% reduction*3 in electricity consumption through the elimination of a screw tempering process at its automobile plant.
- Established alternative technique through the review of proposed machining methods (challenges).
- Employing a low energy use lathe, threading is done directly on heat-treated hard materials.
- Applying to future models while being promoted and evolved horizontally through Honda’s internal Green Conventions.
- Evolving horizontally to other Honda production operations on a global basis.
- *1 Comparison with Sayama Automobile Plant at Saitama Factory
- *2 Honda internal research as of January 2015
- *3 Comparison with previously used process at Hamamatsu Plant
