Honda announced recently a full-scale entry into the solar energy market. It has gone as far as establishing a new division called Soltec, whose sole purpose is to tackle the endeavor.
Soltec will work on developing the next generation in thin-film solar technology. The films will comprised of a compound made of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS). Honda issued this statement:
[our] 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.
It is currently constructing a new facility to design and produce the cells.
Honda Soltec [via Mobility Today]