Epson today announced that Group companies Sanyo Epson Imaging Devices Corp. and Akita Orient Seimitsu Co., Ltd. had been awarded the Natural Resources and Energy Agency Director's General Award for Factory Energy Management Excellence. The award is sponsored by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan.

As a company dedicated to the protection of the environment, Epson treats environmental concerns as an important management issue. In addition to environmentally conscious design and recycling of its products, reduction of energy used in production processes is an important theme across the entire Epson Group.

Both Sanyo Epson Imaging Devices and Akita Orient developed original solutions as they sought to meet the high energy saving targets set across the Group. The Matsumoto Head Office of Sanyo Epson Imaging Devices was recognized for its proactive energy saving measures. Among these was the way in which it takes advantage of its location at an altitude of 600 meters to use a free cooling method that utilizes cold air from outside to cool the water used in the manufacture of LCDs. Further cooling is supplied using regular tap water, which is supplied at a year-round constant temperature of around 12°C). Sanyo Epson was also cited for its energy saving plant operation system, which varies the amount of air and pure water emissions, and also the number of compressors in operation, according to fluctuations in the plant’s energy requirements. The company is also active in environmental education of its staff and in introducing new energy saving technologies into its operations. Company staff are active in giving lectures and disclosing environmental information to the community.

Akita Orient manufactures a variety of products including print heads for Epson printers and crystal resonators. The various businesses of the company have come together to enforce strict energy management based on the Japanese Energy Conservation Law. A characteristic of Akita Orient’s approach is that energy saving methods have taken root as an important part of the company's efforts to improve factory yields. The effect of measures such as reducing energy use to improve productivity, improvements in compressor efficiency, and a companywide effort to reduce power consumption has been a 10% reduction in energy use per unit of production. The award was granted for the combination of management understanding and the uncompromising efforts of each individual employee to maintain and improve energy saving efforts.

Epson is dedicated to further reducing power consumption wherever possible in its plants and office locations worldwide.