TOKYO-Electronics manufacturer Sharp Corp. has opened an LCD television screen plant in Kameyama, Japan, which the company says sets a new standard in terms of environmentalism.

Among other technologies, the plant employs a diverse set of power sources to reduce its dependence on the region's wider utility power grid. These power sources include a large photovoltaic power system and one of Japan's largest fuel cell systems.

These sources provide for about one-third of the total electric power requirements of the plant and reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 40 percent. The plant is also equipped with a wastewater recycling system, which processes approximately 28,000 tons of water per day.

According to Sharp, the photovoltaic power system alone is capable of generating 5,210 kilowatts of power, roughly equivalent to the power consumed by 1,300 homes.