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February 8, 2000 |
Hitachi Launches New Energy-Saving Service Called "HDRIVE" ---New business provides energy-saving benefits of Hitachi hardware--- |
Hitachi, Ltd.(TSE:6501) today announced that it has launched a service business, called HDRIVE, that uses its high-pressure inverters to create highly efficient motors and promote energy-saving at customers' facilities. This service is part of Hitachi's Medium-term Business plan called the "i.e. HITACHI Plan" to become a best solutions partner. A departure from the conventional business models focused on selling products, HDRIVE will offer the energy-saving benefits of its hardware as a service. Hitachi will provide highly efficient motors, high-pressure inverters, monitoring systems, and other equipment to customers free of charge. Instead, under this new type of business service, customers will pay HDRIVE usage fees based on a fixed percentage of the energy savings generated by the equipment. The service offers substantial benefits to customers. They pay no initial costs and can make their factories more energy efficient, thus reducing running costs. In addition, maintenance and repair staff can be reduced through HDRIVE's remote monitoring and operations management. The threat of global warming and growing awareness of the need to protect the environment are leading companies to seek compliance with ISO 14000 environmental standards and energy conservation laws as well as increasing the demand for measures to conserve energy. Approximately 60% of the energy consumed at factories in general industries is used for driving motors. Therefore, significant energy savings are possible by using inverters to control the number of revolutions in motors for fans, pumps, and other hydraulic equipment. However, recovering capital investment through energy savings requires a long time horizon. Many companies hesitant to make this investment have required services to reduce initial costs and realize more energy-efficient operations. Responding to such needs, HDRIVE provides, free of charge, highly efficient motors, high-pressure inverters, and utility monitoring systems as well as other equipment to help improve the energy-efficiency of fans, blowers, pumps, and other hydraulic equipment at customers' manufacturing facilities. Under this service, Hitachi will receive a fixed payment based on the monthly energy savings generated by HDRIVE equipment. In contrast with conventional lease agreements, customers only pay for a portion of the energy savings they receive, according to utilization rates at their factories. They thus bear almost no cost for replacing equipment under this service. Under the i.e. HITACHI Plan, Hitachi, Ltd., and the Hitachi Group will leverage its dedication to quality and productivity as a manufacturer to become a "best solutions partner" providing services and systems. Business Patents and Trademark Registration In September 1999, Hitachi, Ltd., registered for a patent for the HDRIVE business model and registered the trademark in October 1999. Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 1998 (ended March 31, 1999) consolidated sales of 7,977 billion yen ($65.9 billion*). The company manufactures and markets a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit Hitachi's Web site at http://www.hitachi.co.jp. * At an exchange rate of 121 yen to the dollar.
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WRITTEN BY Secretary's Office (C) Hitachi, Ltd. 2000. All rights reserved. |