http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/articles/i/5157/?cid=3

Japanese advanced ceramics company Kyocera ia planting 'green curtains' at its locations throughout the country to cut energy use.

The country is undertaking a major energy efficiency drive after shutting down all its nuclear reactors in the wake of the Fukushima crisis.

Energy shortages could become an issue as the summer approaches and homes and businesses turn up their air conditioning.

Instead, Kyocera is planting 'curtains' of foliage grown on trellises over windows and outer walls of buildings to provide shade from direct sunlight and heat.

The green curtains, which Kyocera first started rolling out on its facilities three years ago, reduce the temperature inside building decreasing the need to run energy-intensive air conditioning systems.

The company plans to rollout the green curtains at 28 of its locations in Japan, a 30% increase on last year.

Kyocera has also installed around 2 MW of solar power at 18 of its facilities and is implementing a raft of energy-saving measures, like using programmable thermostats, automatic door-closers, energy efficient lighting and use of laptops instead of desktop computers.