Sustainability - Environment
Utilization of sustainable resources
A large amount of wood is used in single-family houses, which are the mainstay business of our group. Because wood has the ability to continuously store atmospheric CO2 absorbed through photosynthesis as carbon, increasing the number of wooden buildings in cities is also referred to as "second forest creation." Our group strives to create a sustainable society through the stable supply of housing.
A wooden house that connects to forest circulation
As trees get older, their ability to absorb CO2 decreases, so by cutting down trees that are over a certain age and planting and growing younger trees, you can increase the CO2 absorption capacity of the entire forest.
The systematic felling of trees to build wooden houses promotes healthy forest circulation.
Carbon storage of wooden houses
The amount of carbon stored per wooden house is estimated to be 6 tC (tons of carbon) (*1), meaning that wooden houses store about four times as much carbon as steel-framed prefabricated houses or reinforced concrete houses.
In addition, since wood emits less carbon during manufacturing and processing compared to materials such as steel and concrete, promoting the use of wood contributes to reducing CO2 emissions.
Our group supplies approximately 40,000 wooden houses per year, which is calculated to store approximately 179,000 tC of carbon.
- *1 Calculated based on the results of an estimate for a typical wooden house (134 m2) (Forestry Agency's "FY2020 Forest and Forestry White Paper") and our group's average total floor area (approximately 100 m2).
Reducing CO2 emissions through group uniform quality standards
Our Group has set a unified quality standard of "Insulation Performance Grade 4" or higher and "Primary Energy Consumption Grade 5" or higher under the Housing Performance Indication System for all of our detached houses for sale, and has acquired these standards. (※1) The energy consumption of a house with this performance is 3.1 tons per year.
Compared to the CO2 emissions of a typical home (*2), this reduces emissions by approximately 15% (*3).
All detached houses for sale that will obtain confirmation applications after April 2025 will have the higher performance of ZEH (Zero Energy House) standards (*4), which include "Insulation Performance Grade 5" and "Primary Energy Consumption Grade 6." Homes with this level of performance have a reduction effect of approximately 20% compared to ordinary homes.
| general housing | Iida group quality standards | Iida Group's residential ZEH standards (*5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insulation performance grade | grade 4 | grade 4 | grade 5 |
| primary energy consumption class | grade 4 | grade 5 | grade 6 |
| energy consumption (CO2 equivalent amount) *4 | 3.69 tons | 3.15 tons | 2.98 tons |
| with general housing reduction ratio | － | 14.6% | 19.3% |
- *1 This applies to newly built detached houses for which the Group has signed sales contracts as the seller after April 1, 2022. Detached houses for sale do not include those built by contract such as Contract constructions, Overseas properties, or properties sold through an agency. This is based on the laws and systems in effect as of April 1, 2022, and may be subject to change due to legal amendments, etc.
- *2 A "general home" is a home that has acquired "heat resistance performance grade 4" and "primary energy consumption grade 4."
- *3 ZEH (Zero Energy House) refers to a house with zero actual energy costs (Net Zero Energy). A house that has achieved both "Insulation Performance Grade 5" and "Primary Energy Consumption Grade 6" under the Housing Performance Indication System is called a ZEH standard house. (As of April 2022)
- * 4Energy consumption (CO2 equivalent) was calculated using the "Energy Consumption Performance Calculation Program" (Building Research Institute) based on our own data.
- *5 As of October 2022
Renewable energy
Woody biomass
"Biomass" is a word that expresses the amount (mass) of biological resources (bio), and refers to "renewable, biologically derived organic resources (excluding fossil fuels)." Among these, biomass made of wood is called "woody biomass."
(Quoted from the Forestry Agency)
FIRST WOOD Co., Ltd. makes effective use of woody biomass. The sawdust produced during sawing can be used for mushrooms and the flooring of cowsheds, and the chips can be used as raw material for paper by paper companies.
Additionally, we use bark, sawdust, and other waste from our own factories as fuel for our large boilers with in-house power generation, allowing us to efficiently obtain the steam needed to dry wood and the electricity needed to operate our factories.
Furthermore, we are working to build a business that collects and recycles wood scraps that are difficult to dispose of throughout the country.
Solar power generation business
The promotion of renewable energy, which reduces environmental impact and can be used safely for future generations, remains a pressing need. Therefore, HAJIME CONSTRUCTION Co., Ltd., TOEI HOUSING, Ltd., and FIRST WOOD Co., Ltd. are installing and operating solar power generation facilities with the aim of creating renewable energy. This is one way of utilizing land outside of their main business of Detached houses, and it connects to the wealth of information they receive when acquiring land and to the utilization of their owned idle land.
Research and development towards realizing a sustainable society
Toward the realization of a "hydrogen society," we are conducting research and development into the "IG Perfect Eco House," a home that uses our unique artificial photosynthesis technology to generate and store formic acid from carbon dioxide and water, or organic matter derived from carbon dioxide, and then uses electricity generated from hydrogen produced from this formic acid to power the home.
With the aim of establishing this technology, we are conducting joint research with Osaka Municipal University, working to improve the efficiency of formic acid and hydrogen production, construct a power generation mechanism, and improve the durability of the equipment.
Furthermore, in preparation for the mandatory installation of renewable energy facilities, we are considering multiple options, including artificial photosynthesis technology and collaboration with suppliers of alternative products such as solar power generation equipment.
