Toyota to build new Prius in Eco-Factory in Japan
While the argument about whether a Hummer H2 is actually more environmentally friendly than a Toyota Prius has long since been debunked (even if it keeps popping up its ugly head), it does raise a valid point. A major part of the environmental impact of transportation devices like cars and trucks comes during the manufacturing and disposal phases of their existences. Evaluating environmental impact requires total lifecycle analysis of the product, something that Toyota has done for the new 2010 Prius.
The Tsutsumi plant that builds the Prius is one of five ISO14001 certified Eco-factories in the Toyota network. The factory has a 50,000m2 solar array on its roof that generates
Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius
[Source: Toyota]
TOYOTA ECO-FACTORY GIVES NEW PRIUS A CLEAN START IN LIFE
The low emissions and fuel efficiency delivered by the new Toyota Prius in everyday driving would be of little value if they were not backed up by equally environmentally focused manufacturing. As part of Toyota's commitment to achieving the best possible performance throughout the car's lifecycle, the production centre for the third generation Prius is a standard-bearer for clean operations and the use of renewable energy sources.
The Tsutsumi plant in Japan is one of five Toyota global Eco-Factories (Burnaston in the UK is another) that are designed to minimise environmental impact and develop best practices for adoption elsewhere. It has held the ISO14001 "green standard" for environmental management since 1996, pioneering innovations in energy saving, waste management and recycling.
Just as new Prius can use solar energy to keep its cabin cool when parked, Tsutsumi meets half its electricity requirements with a 50,000m2 array of solar panels that can generate 2,000kW of energy an hour. The rest of its energy demands are met by an efficient gas co-generation system.
To ensure only as much power as needed is used, energy-saving lighting has been installed and patrols are carried out to monitor usage. A control system cuts electricity use when the plant is non-operational and the building of sunlight ducts allows more natural light to be introduced into working areas.
Even the building itself helps clean up the local environment, with 22,000m2 of the assembly plant being covered in photocatalytic paint. This reacts to sunlight by releasing active oxygen into the atmosphere, which helps break down harmful substances such as nitrogen oxides (NOx). To help offset CO2 emissions, Tsutsumi workers and people from the local community joined forces to plant 50,000 trees around the factory site in 2008.
Tsutsumi sends no waste to landfill and cut the amount that is incinerated by 82 per cent to 730 tonnes between 1999 and 2006, with the future goal of reducing that figure to zero.
Between 2003 and 2007 CO2 emissions from the plant were reduced by 36 per cent. During the same period, the total amount of waste produced was reduced by 21 per cent between; use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was down by 48 per cent; and 14 per cent less water was used.
Tsutsumi operates a comprehensive water recycling system that has cut the amount discharged into local rivers by half, while the water that is released is actually cleaner than that in the waterways themselves.
As an Eco-Factory, Tsutsumi is also committed to working in harmony with its local community and surrounding environment, and to an operational lifespan of 100 years.
New Prius is on sale from 1 August, priced from £18,370 on the road.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris M 2:56PM (6/29/2009)
Minor correction: that photocatalytic paint breaks down nitrous oxides into nitrogen and oxygen it DOES NOT break down CO2!
The news article got it right, I suspect Sam misread it.
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GoodCheer 3:04PM (6/29/2009)
Another correction:
"The factory has a 50,000m2 solar array on its roof that generates 5,000 kW/h of electricity, about half of the plant's total requirements."
That's probably 5,000 kW (not kWh) of electricity (that would be about 10% efficient pannels, which is low for monocrystalline silicon, but high for thin film)
That would probably give them about 7.5 MWh / year.
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EVdriver 3:16PM (6/29/2009)
Holly sssh..... cow! :) You're so fast! ;)
EVdriver 3:14PM (6/29/2009)
Another correction: "The factory has a 50,000m2 solar array on its roof that generates 5,000 kW/h of electricity, " vs. "a 50,000m2 array of solar panels that can generate 2,000kW of energy an hour."
5000 2000
Moreover there is no such thing as "kW/h". SI unit for energy is joule (J), or kilowatt-hour (kWh). / 1kWh = 3.6 MJ /
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Chris M 3:22PM (6/29/2009)
I bet Sam is blushing a bit. He usually does excellent posting, but being human, he sometimes slips up, and this time he hit the blunder jackpot.
Don't fret too much, everybody makes misteaks.
Sam Abuelsamid 8:04AM (6/30/2009)
This would be the power rate 2,000 kW produced per hour as stated in the Toyota press release
jpm 3:45PM (6/29/2009)
Mr. Abuelsamid, does ABG reimburse you for education expenses? If so, please consider taking a physics or thermodynamics class.
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/environment/sustainable_plant/solar/index.html
They have a PV array that delivers 2000 kW. A watt is defined as a joule per second. A joule is a unit of energy. So watts is energy per second. So if you multiply watts by a unit of time, you get total amount of energy.
I believe a typical house uses something like 1000 kWh per month. If you estimate the toyota plant gets about 7 hours of sun each day, then their PV array makes 2000 kW * 7 hr = 14000 kWh a day. In reality it's probably more like 50% of that, or 7000 kWh a day b/c of inefficiences, fixed angles of panels, clouds...etc. So over the month we're talking 210000 kWh, which would cover about 210 homes.
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dr61 11:26AM (6/30/2009)
jpm - excellent post. I would add that the energy produced would supply 210 US homes, but probably 1000+ Japanese homes, because of our horribly inefficient use of electricity in the US.
jpm 2:45PM (6/30/2009)
Oops, you're definitely right, the Japanese would surely wouldn't be as wasteful.
I was immediately reminded of my soon to be ex-roomate who unwittingly runs his big toaster oven (1200 watts!) every morning for 10-15 minutes. Although the landlord does have a nice 2.5kW PV array to make up for it. But still, it's brain dead wastefulness.
Gary 4:18PM (6/29/2009)
Isn't this the same factory that's going to be built on an ancient rice patty?
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/23/report-toyotas-push-to-build-green-cars-may-destroy-17th-centu/
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Snoopy 12:41AM (6/30/2009)
That's what I was wondering.
EVdriver 4:48PM (6/29/2009)
FYI:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3EUh6cARiI
This is a comprehensive video of the 2010 Toyota Prius whole lifecycle ecological footprint. Must see!
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Serge 6:22PM (6/29/2009)
Would be nice to have Prius manufactured in the U.S. to cut down on transportation expenses.
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jpm 6:39PM (6/29/2009)
Nice video. Since they're over the top committed to reducing C02, WHY doesn't Toyota have an EV!?
Alan 7:31AM (6/30/2009)
I've very dissapointed on the lack of proper EV plans (or at least public ones). They thought they were oh so progressive and ahead of the curve, then proceeded to rubbish plug-ins and EVs, presumably because they hadn't been planning that next step. A standard hybrid is great but doesn't take vehicle technology to the next level in terms of well-to-wheel efficiency and more importantly cost. They won't want to be left behind by the competion so they will be providing plug-ins and EVs eventually, but they really need to design the platform from the ground up.
JustZisGuy 10:53AM (6/30/2009)
Alan said that Toyota "proceeded to rubbish plug-ins and EVs, presumably because they hadn't been planning that next step."
I can't speak for all of Toyota, and I don't think that any organization that large acts as one, anyway, but I think the real motivation is less sinister. It is one thing to make a system work, it is another to make it work and provide an eight year warranty while in the hands of the General Public, who can manage to do amazingly stupid things you can't even dream of.
The current battery technology in the Prius is such that it needs to be treated with kid gloves to reach that eight year life. The battery (in normal use, anyway) is never fully charged or discharged, in fact I don't think it's ever allowed to go below 1/4 charge. In effect this means you are carrying around a much bigger battery than its nameplate energy capacity would suggest. The 2010 Prius is said to be able to go about a mile at low speed in EV mode - how much more battery capacity would be required to allow a true EV, or a plug-in where the recharge capacity is worth the added complications of providing the recharge capability? I think the answer is "a lot". This is not realistically achievable through more batteries of the same type, it requires a (currently way more expensive) different type.
The reality seems to be that that gap simply can't be crossed at this time. Not in a cost-competitive way. If the technology changes, perceptions of Toyota's attitudes likely will as well. I think there's evidence that they are trying to cover multiple eventualities, hence the plug-in Prius trial.
LiveandLetDrive 7:57AM (6/30/2009)
Moreover there is no such thing as "kW/h"
Sure there is, it's energy acceleration! lol
You'd think they'd deal with units of energy on this site frequently enough...
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CS Guy 8:59AM (6/30/2009)
I can't believe that nobody has mentioned the fallacy of calling any Prius made in this factory "green." Why? Look at the whole carbon and pollution footprint of building AND transporting these vehicles as well as their use at the end destination (USA) for the full answer. In other words, just because Toyota will build these Prius' in a factory that is half way powered by solar doesn't negate the emissions of the cargo ships that will transport these greener cars to us here.
Due to the exceptionally dirty fuel that these cargo ships use their pollution emissions is greater than all the vehicles in the world. (!) See this article from The Guardian and then recalculate the eco friendliness of these vehicles.
Excerpt: "One giant container ship can emit almost the same amount of cancer and asthma-causing chemicals as 50 million cars"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/09/shipping-pollution
Here is the ABG article that brought it to my attention:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/06/02/a-single-container-ship-may-emit-as-much-as-50-million-cars?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_autobloggreen
We either need to outlaw those ships, ban them from our shores (probably difficult due to effects on our economy) or we buy only things manufactured right here in North America.
In the long term, greener propulsion for cargo ships should be mandated.
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Serge 1:40PM (6/30/2009)
Looks like the solution here is to require emission controls on cargo ships (and cruise-ships for that matter). Car emissions in the 70s were horrendous as well, but were addressed. It will be make trans-oceanic shipping more expensive, but it's only fair for polluters to pay for their share. It also creates an additional incentive for companies to locate production closer to markets, which I see as a "good thing."
Fercho 11:26PM (7/21/2009)
Toyota Prius is using Kyocera Solar Panels, http://www.altestore.com/mmsolar/others/KD_Modules.pdf this is great solar panel. The relationship price per watt is fantastict.
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