Market news, 05 December 2024
Toyota: the worldwide car colossus
Toyota, the largest automobile company in Japan and market leader, enjoys a substantial market share in Europe and the United States. Spearheading the electrification process for over 20 years, Toyota now has sold more than 13 million hybrid vehicles in more than 90 countries worldwide, including over 2 million in Europe and over 280,000 in Italy.Toyota's Full Hybrid Electric technology delivers extremely low emissions compared to conventional vehicles (an estimated 102 million tons of CO₂ have been saved) and harmful pollutants, such as NOx are more than 90% lower than legal approval limits.
Toyota Motor Italy
Toyota Motor Italy was formed as a direct subsidiary of the Toyota Motor Corporation in 1990 . From 2003 it has been managed directly by Toyota Motor Europe, based in Brussels. The growth of Toyota over the years has been exponential so much so as to become the best-selling Japanese car brand in Italy. Toyota Motor Italy obtained Top Employer certification for the 4th consecutive year, which certifies the best companies in terms of management and employee development and the workplace environment.
The Rome Headquarters
The headquarters of Toyota Motor Italy were inaugurated in 2002 and designed by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. The headquarters are located in the famous Magliana district of Rome and accommodates more than 400 employees. Is spread over 63 2 and consists of four separate but connected buildings. There is a multi-functional building, which reintroduces the theme of the Japanese pagoda, and houses a Show Room, a cafeteria, a gym, and a new multimedia ‘conference’ area with a company bar with a large shared space. The five-storey glazed office building acts as a link between the two wings of the complex; a Spare Parts Warehouse of 7,300 m2 and a specialized Training Center for Toyota mechanics. In the northern part, just past the main entrance, there is a 30,000 m2 park with a large fountain and a variety of traditional Japanese and Mediterranean vegetation.
Respect for the environment
For Toyota, environmental respect is one of its core principles. Toyota's aspiration is to improve people's lives by providing the best mobility solutions for everyone. Environmental sustainability is one of Toyota's key commitments, leading the company to implement the 2015 Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, a set of ambitious and measurable goals to be achieved by 2050. Specifically, there are 6 environmental challenges defined with a holistic approach: from the development of zero-carbon-emission vehicles (CO₂), to zero emissions produced by their factories and throughout the life cycle of their products. All this by optimizing the use of natural resources, promoting the creation of a society in which recycling and recovery systems are increasingly used. In line with these principles, Toyota Motor Italia turned to Sodexo, the world leader in quality of life services and Facility Management services; in collaboration with AIKU Studio, an architecture and design firm, Sodexo Italia was commissioned by Toyota to revamp the new air conditioning system with about 1,000 kW cooling capacity, serving the Office and Multipurpose building. With the dual objective of increasing efficiency and reducing environmental impact, Sodexo selected, purchased and installed the new HVAC units. They also currently take care of the management and maintenance of the HVAC plant. Giuseppe de Nichilo, HR, Corporate Planning & Facilities General Manager at Toyota Italia says: "The project, completed in 2018, was an important part of in the journey taken by Toyota Italy to reduce the environmental impact of its headquarters. It was a real collaboration with the team of professionals at Sodexo and Aiku which completely achieved the goal. The investment is part of an organic plan aimed at energy efficiency and the consequent progressive reduction of CO₂ emissions steaming from the M&E systems, in line with the Environmental Challenge 2050, which has been active a series of parallel activities, including completing redoing the lighting systems of the site with LED technology".
The new air conditioning system
The heart of the new HVAC system is based on two Climaveneta branded air-cooled multipurpose heat pumps, ERACS2-Q/SL-CA 2422. These units guarantee contemporary loads throughout the year with a considerable energy recovery, through thermoregulation both on the hot and cold side of the exchanger. Andrea Biagiotti, Regional Director of the Central South Region of the Corporate Segment of Sodexo Italia S.p.A., in collaboration with its Technical Director, points out that: "The project carried out in Toyota Italia is an exemplary case, in line with the our services which are aimed at promoting efficient and rational use of energy resources. This choice offers significant benefits for the customer, both in economic and environmental terms. Suffice it to say that, in the first year of operation alone, with reference to the winter heating period from November 2018 to March 2019, a 57% reduction in methane gas consumption was achieved and a further savings equal to 25% of the electricity consumption of the chiller group. These results confirm and strengthen our commitment to environmental sustainability, consistent with our Better Tomorrow 2025 social responsibility program."
In this project the multi-purpose units have been selected in the super-silent version, to reduce noise emissions which are harmful for employees.
Eng. Tullio Deodati, from Studio AIKU states: "With the new air conditioning system Toyota Motor Italy has made its headquarters more efficient, considerably reducing the consumption of primary energy" And he adds, "The experience of the Climaveneta brand in the production of multipurpose units combined with that of Studio AIKU in the design of large air-conditioning systems has made these headquarters a showcase of excellence in comfort, energy efficiency, and sustainability'.
The HVAC system is controlled by ClimaPRO, which manages and provides maximum efficiency at all times, displaying all the parameters of the system in real time. ClimaPRO also allows for scheduled maintenance interventions to ensure continuous operation of the HVAC system during working hours, without any interruption in services.
Valerio Simonato, National Key Account of Mitsubishi Electric , concludes "Toyota and Mitsubishi Electric share the value of environmental respect and are both engaged on several fronts to provide innovative and eco-friendly solutions. This air-conditioning system, in addition to guaranteeing a comfortable working environment, guarantees low noise emissions, no local CO₂ emissions of and rational use of energy.
