Environmental Protection

HEP FIVE

We are making efforts to use natural energy, such as by installing solar power generation equipment.

Osaka Umeda Twin Towers

In April 2022, we introduced substantive renewable energy-derived power*1  that has a non-fossil certificate with tracking*2 in both of the Osaka Umeda Twin Towers North and South.
We will gradually expand the buildings where this type of power will be used, and by fiscal 2025 we plan to switch to substantive renewable energy-derived power*3  for a large portion of the electric power usage in the office buildings and commercial facilities*4 we operate in the Osaka-Umeda area and along the Hankyu and Hanshin rail lines.
This is one way that building owners and corporate tenants can work together toward realizing a decarbonized society.

*1 Usage in both common-use areas and office-use-only areas.
*2  A certificate stating the environmental value of electric power that is derived from non-fossil-based power sources (such as renewable energy), with tracking information about the location and other attributes of the power generation plants.Attaching a certificate of renewable energy designation to electric power makes it substantive renewable energy-derived power.
*3 Excludes the portion of home-generated (off-grid) electric power generated by gas cogeneration systems.
*4  Excludes some properties including those scheduled for rebuilding and redevelopment, properties with minimal power usage, and properties for which the Group does not have the authority to manage energy.  

Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South

At the Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South, we are using the BEMS (Building Energy Management System) to make visible the amount and efficiency of energy usage, which is useful in the energy-saving operation and control of building equipment. We are maintaining a pleasant environment while promoting energy-saving using a variety of methods and equipment such as cogeneration systems that are highly efficient in power generation, sequence air conditioning that automatically sets the temperatures in steps from a zone near the outside of the building up to where the offices are, and desiccant air conditioning to maintain the air quality by controlling the humidity in the air using a desiccant (drying agent).
The tenants of this building can also check online (via the internet) the amount of energy used in their rental offices by day and time, as well as create graphs of trends and year-on-year comparisons in the usage amount, etc. These are some of the ways we are creating systems that are one-step ahead in making energy usage “visible.”
These initiatives help to raise the energy-saving awareness of tenants and build mechanisms to enable daily energy-saving activities.

Geo Akashi Honmachi Book Lounge

We have been using domestically-produced wood materials for the veneers and other parts of common-use areas in all of the Geo condominiums for sale built since July 2023, and moving forward with the use of wood materials in our buildings.
By actively using domestically-produced wood materials, we hope to improve the ability of forests to cultivate water sources*1 and absorb carbon dioxide*2, as well as positively impact the preservation of biodiversity*3.Also, the wood materials used in the veneers of common-use areas are, in principle, locally produced and locally consumed, which will contribute to the conservation of local forests.

*1 With an abundance of ground vegetation, the leaves of those plants can catch rainwater on them and the plants’ extensive root system will make the soil become like a sponge. This enables the rainwater to be stored in the forests’ soil, rather than flowing off the soil all at once, and subsequently improves the ability of forests to cultivate water sources.
*2 The thinning of forests creates more space between each tree, which allows the tree trunks to grow bigger and absorb more carbon dioxide.
*3 Increasing the amount of light that can filter into a forest will allow a wider variety of plants to grow and create a more favorable environment for plants and animals, which will subsequently help to preserve biodiversity.