News

9 August 2010

 

Honda extends range of residential-use CIGS PV module to 120W and 130W

After being founded in December 2006 at Honda Motor Co Ltd’s Kumamoto Factory and selling its copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar modules for residential use in Japan since October 2007 and for public/industrial use since 2008, Honda subsidiary Honda Soltec Co Ltd has begun selling two new residential-use solar cell modules with maximum output of 130W and 120W, respectively, as well as a large-capacity power conditioner with a rated output of 5.5kW.

Honda Soltec says that it has advanced its solar cell production technology to improve the quality of the electricity-generating layer, so the new 130W module achieves solar energy conversion efficiency of 11.6% (claimed to be the highest for CIGS-based solar cells currently being sold in Japan).

Honda Soltec’s existing product lineup includes two types of residential-use modules with maximum output of 125W and 115W, respectively, and a power conditioner with a rated output of 4.0kW. The firm will continue selling these alongside the new products.

Honda Soltec says that it has so far sold residential-use solar cell modules to about 2250 homes through home builders and contractors. It has also installed public/industrial-use solar cells to about 120 buildings, including Hanshin Koshien Stadium, warehouse of logistics centers and hospitals. The firm adds that, in an environment of increasing demand, it aims to expand business to regions outside Japan in the future.

Honda Soltec currently employs about 180 associates, and has a production capacity of about 27.5MW (sufficient to supply for about 9000 houses with 3kW systems).

See related items:

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Honda Soltec opens CIGS PV production plant

Honda starts selling CIGS solar cells

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Visit: http://world.honda.com/HondaSoltec