Wondering how to lower your office’s carbon footprint during the hot summer months? Why not try some Green Curtains?

Each spring since 2007, electronics maker Kyocera plants goya — aka Momordica charantia or bitter melon — on trellises in front of windows and walls to provide shade at its facilities in Japan and in other offices around the world. The result is lowered air conditioning costs due to a 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degree Fahrenheit) drop in temperatures, along with some impressive carbon capture and a nice little goya harvest as you can see below.

Kyocera explains in a press release:

Green Curtains not only reduce the creation of, but also absorb CO2 emissions: one square meter of foliage absorbs approximately 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs) of CO2 per year. In 2012, Green Curtains grown by Kyocera stretched a length of 830 m (2,723 ft) and an area of 3,417 m2 (36,780 ft2), — equivalent to the area of 13 tennis courts — helping to meet regional energy saving targets in Japan stemming from nuclear power plant stoppage in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

So far, 28 Kyocera sites, including some in China, Thailand and Brazil, have set up Green Curtains. This year, its headquarters in Kyoto is also getting in on the act.

To learn more about Green Curtains or to set up your own, visit the Kyocera site.