Akihisa Hirota
Refrigerator Design Dept., Tochigi Home Appliance Works, Hitachi Appliances, Inc.
Atsushi Otsuka
Air Conditioning Systems Design Dept., Tochigi Air Conditioning Works, Hitachi Appliances, Inc.
Takahiko Yoshida
Environment Promotion Dept., Hitachi Appliances, Inc.
The environmental friendliness of home appliances can be addressed in three fundamental ways: global environment preservation (prevent global warming and protect the ozone layer), resource recycling (the Three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle), and chemical substance management (reducing use of chemicals in products and manufacturing processes that adversely affect the environment). Now that the first commitment period to achieve CO2 reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol has begun (2008—2012), prevention of global warming in particular has drawn a great deal of attention and emerged as a critical international political issue. Residential sector currently accounts for 13.5% of Japan's CO2 emissions, and many anticipate that more energy efficient appliances will help reduce the country's CO2 emissions. To meet these public expectations and needs, Hitachi Appliances, Inc. is committed to the development of the most energy efficient home appliances that are available.
Environment Promotion Department, Hitachi Appliances, Inc.
refrigerator, air conditioner, home appliance, power consumption, energy saving, energy efficiency
