Toshiba to Build Major Energy-Efficient Community

Toshiba Corp. will develop one of the world’s biggest energy efficient “smart communities” in Osaka Prefecture starting as early 2013, the company announced.

Eleven of the project’s 18 hectares will be land that once held a Toshiba factory. The site is in a residential area about 2 kilometers northeast of the Ibaraki interchange on the Meishin Expressway.

The community’s homes and commercial facilities will be equipped with solar power generation systems. The community will provide rechargers for electric vehicles, car-sharing programs and a rainwater reuse system. Toshiba may also install electricity storage devices at an adjacent park which is designed to serve as an evacuation center for disasters. The smart community’s energy use will be controlled by a central unit.

The community will be built in consultation with Ibaraki city government and other concerned parties.

Toshiba manufactures power station equipment. This year, the company acquired a major producer of power meters with communication functions, a key component for next-generation smart grids. The company plans to raise sales from smart community-related products and servides to about 900 billion yen ($12 billion) in fiscal 2015 from the current 300 billion yen through overseas expansion.