Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a 2004 Climate Protection Award to the Electrical Inverter Air Conditioning Team, comprised of DENSO Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Toyota Industries Corporation, at the agency’s annual Earth Technologies Forum in Washington, D.C in April.

The Electrical Inverter Air Conditioning Team developed an electrical inverter air conditioning system that provides cooling for the 2003 Toyota Prius during idle stop when the engine shuts down to save fuel and emissions.

“The electrical inverter air conditioning system achieves a 40 percent size reduction and a 53 percent mass reduction over traditional electrical compressors, and a 25 percent reduction in refrigerant leakage over traditional belt-driven compressors,” said Satoshi Watanabe, managing director of DENSO. “This system is an essential technology for the market expansion of hybrid and fuel cell vehicles.”

“The Electrical Inverter Air Conditioning System Team is one of 12 individuals and organizations internationally to receive this honor in recognition of exemplary efforts and achievements in protecting the climate,” said Caley Johnson, director of Climate Protection Awards, Climate Protection Partnerships Divisions, EPA. “This team has impressed all judges and EPA officials who reviewed its accomplishments.”

This year’s 12 award recipients are reducing greenhouse gas emissions by formulating policies at international, national, state and local levels; by reducing corporate energy consumption and by inventing technologies that protect the climate.