TOKYO, Japan - October 27, 2011 - ORIX Rentec Corporation,
a subsidiary of ORIX Corporation, announced today that it
will commence performance evaluations and reliability
testing services for renewable energy related equipment,
including solar panels, at its newly established Kobe
Testing Center in Suma-ku, Kobe.
The market for renewable energy, including solar and wind
power generation, as an alternative to fossil fuels, and
the market for related storage batteries are expanding. In
response, demand has been rapidly increasing from
manufacturers in Japan and overseas for testing services
designed to enhance the reliability, such as long-term
durability of products, components and materials. As
installing R&D equipment and establishing testing systems
become urgent priorities, ORIX Rentec will provide
performance evaluations and reliability testing under
contract, in addition to offering a full range of
specialized testing equipment. Through these services, ORIX
Rentec will help customers to reduce equipment installation
costs and conduct R&D activities at the same time.
The Kobe Testing Center will be commissioned to perform
solar panel tests, storage battery recharging and discharge
tests, and reliability evaluation tests. Full-time
engineers on staff will conduct long-term durability tests
of client products as well as components and materials.
Moreover, testing laboratories will also be made available
to customers for a given period so that they can freely
perform tests and inspections on their own.
The Kobe Testing Center will be equipped with various
large-scale testing equipment that meet customers' product
development needs. Leveraging ORIX Rentec's strengths as
Japan's leading rental company, the Kobe Testing Center
will quickly supply various types of measurement equipment
that is required for tests from the company's inventory in
support of the testing operations of its customers.
ORIX Corporation is a financial services group organized around 9 business divisions:
- life insurance (19.3% of net sales);
- corporate financial services (17.6%): leasing and rental of automobiles, IT-related and technological equipment;
- development, management and promotion of real estate assets (15.5%);
- private equity investment (15.3%);
- asset and investment fund management in Europe (8.8%);
- capital markets and investment banking in the United States (6.4%);
- finance and investment banking in Asia and Australia (5.9%);
- retail banking and consumer finance (3.4%);
- aircraft and ship leasing and financing (1.5%).
The balance of net sales (6.3%) relates to energy and environmental activities (renewable energy production, electricity distribution, sale of solar panels and electricity storage systems, recycling and waste management).