SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. recently opened a new facility at its Kasai Plant (Hyogo Prefecture), which manufactures lithium-ion batteries for eco-friendly vehicles . A green plant must be environment-friendly so, on the roofs of new and older buildings, it has solar panels—that generate up to 1 MW of electricity that is stored in 1.5 MW lithium-ion batteries—and an internal smart grid that utilizes a building and energy management system (BEMS). Direct current is fed to computers and the LED lighting, to use as much of the generated energy as possible. The facility grounds include a biotope space, to help preserve the area's natural vegetation, and a charging station for electric vehicles. The plant, one of Japan's top environment-friendly factories, has been designated a model for CO2 reduction by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.