Sumitomo Forestry Co., a major Japanese homebuilder, began sales of solar-powered and all-electric home designs on August 3, 2007. As standard features, the house is equipped with such electric appliances as an induction cooker and a heat-pump water heater, in addition to a photovoltaic (PV) system.

In the PV system, electricity generated by the roof-top solar modules is converted into alternating-current power for household use by the indoor power conditioner, and is then distributed within the house via the power distribution board. Surplus electricity generated can be sold back to the power company, which leads to a further reduction in utility bills.

The heat-pump water heater extracts heat from the ambient air and uses it for heating water. It uses carbon dioxide, which is a natural refrigerant to provide high heating capacity with reduced environmental impact. The induction cooker is safe to operate because it does not use a flame that might cause a fire or might accidentally go out. Furthermore, it has excellent safety features, for example, automatic power-off after a certain period of time, prevention of overheating of empty pots, and locking of the power switch when not in use.

Sumitomo Forestry continues to offer new houses that will help minimize environmental impacts through the increasing use of renewable energy.

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Posted: 2007/12/07 11:14:55 AM
Japanese version

TAG Eco-product/Business , Energy , Manufacturing industry