Honda Establishes Solar Cell Subsidiary: To Start Thin Film Manufacturing

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsASMA77.htm

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced plans to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary, Honda Soltec Co., Ltd., which will produce and sell the next-generation thin film solar cell independently developed by Honda. The new company will lead Honda to make a full-scale entry into the solar cell business.

The next-generation solar cell to be produced and sold by Honda Soltec was developed by Honda Engineering Co., Ltd., the production engineering subsidiary of Honda. By using thin film made from a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), Honda's next-generation solar cell achieves a major reduction in the amount of energy consumed during the manufacturing process by approximately 50% compared to what is required to produce conventional crystal silicon solar cells. This makes the new solar cell more environmentally-friendly by reducing the amount of CO2 generated even from the production stage.

At the end of September 2006, Honda began construction of a plant to mass produce solar cells within the current site of Honda's Kumamoto factory, and the new facility will become operational in fall 2007 with an annual capacity of 27.5 megawatts. Prior to the start-up of the new plant, Honda Soltec will begin sales in limited areas in March 2007, of CIGS thin film compound solar cells produced by Honda Engineering.

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There might be hope for us yet! :woohoo:

:bounce:

and build good quality cars that get 50+ mpg too...

Nothing they build lasts more than 5 years. Solar cells need to last longer than that to pay for themselves. They'd also have to spend years of research to develop the means to attach gasoline tanks to each panel, plus drink holders and chrome trim.

Some things are better left to Honda.