Four Murata Plants to Install On-site Power Generation Facilities Using Solar Panels and Storage Batteries

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Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has announced plans to newly install a storage battery system at four plants in Japan as part of its commitment to the RE100 initiative. The company aims to transform these plants into facilities that run on 100% renewable energy, contributing to a more sustainable society by promoting the use of renewable energy in all its business activities and reducing the environmental impact on local communities.

Four plants where the system will be installed:

• Sendai Murata Manufacturing (Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture)
• Ise Murata Manufacturing (Tsu, Mie Prefecture)
• Hakui Murata Manufacturing (Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture)
• Wakura Murata Manufacturing (Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture)

The system was first installed at Kanazu Murata Manufacturing (located in Awara, Fukui Prefecture) in November 2021. These new deployments will see the system in operation at five plants in Japan, bringing the cumulative annual CO2 emissions reduction from in-plant power generation facilities to a total of 1,897 tons.

The system combines a large-scale solar panel array and storage unit with a proprietary energy management system that can optimize energy consumption in real time. It does so by managing data on production schedules, electricity consumption, weather forecasts, and power generation forecasts. For example, during the daytime when solar power generation is at its peak, the power grid load is reduced by using plant-generated power. At the same time, fluctuations in manufacturing output and weather conditions are closely monitored to increase efficiency. At night, the storage battery is recharged in preparation for the daytime power demand, which also helps stabilize the power grid load.

In recent years, the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels and temperatures, as well as dramatic weather patterns, have become far more prevalent, increasing the importance of using renewable energy. Particularly in Japan, it is increasingly difficult to predict the supply and demand of electricity during summer and winter, and power generation from renewable energy sources is not stable. This can lead to supply network instability. Thus, each company needs to improve the efficiency of its energy management on top of implementing renewable energy with additionality*1. Murata Manufacturing is committed to resolving these social issues by optimizing energy use with storage battery units in addition to on-site power generation with solar panels, thereby helping to create a more sustainable society.

The system consists of a power storage unit that utilizes the strength of Murata Manufacturing’s rechargeable battery technology, enabling it to operate stably over a long period. By analyzing and accumulating knowledge on how the system is operating under conditions that vary greatly from site to site, such as weather conditions and items produced, we aim to expand the system to even more offices and plants in the future.