OREANDA-NEWS. November 03, 2011. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., today announced the installation of its largest commercial solar-cell demonstration project in the United States, at Honda Performance Development (HPD), Inc., the company's advanced motorsports engineering facility in Santa Clarita, CA. The 100-kilowatt, 800-cell array of thin-film CIGS solar panels, manufactured by Honda Soltec Co., Ltd., are installed on the roof, carport, and loading dock canopy at the headquarters of HPD, where the company develops engine technology for the IZOD IndyCar series, the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Series in Europe, and other racing programs. [Click here to watch a video about Honda's solar technology].

The Honda solar array complements other unique environmental technologies installed at the facility, as well as HPD's plans for "green racing" motorsports programs. Honda Soltec is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda based in Kumamoto, Japan.

The solar demonstration project is one of Honda's largest to date, providing power to several areas of the HPD research-and-development campus, while reducing energy loads and CO2 emissions. Energy produced by the solar array is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 64 metric tons annually, according to Honda estimates.

The system features a solar tracking system that allows some panels to follow the path of the sun and is designed to power an electric vehicle charger, demonstrating Honda's vision for a sustainable energy management system that incorporates Honda solar cell and electric vehicle technologies. Energy output will be monitored in real-time through an internet-based monitoring system.

"The installation of Honda Soltec solar panels along with an electric vehicle charging station at one of our most advanced Honda facilities in the United States represents a big step for us in our solar product development," said Mike Hodge, manager of Honda Home Energy for the Power Equipment Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "What we learn from this new project at HPD will provide real-world data and feedback on the use of Honda solar cells in a typical commercial application."

Using a thin-film compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), Honda's next-generation solar cell requires less raw material and 40 percent less energy, and related CO2 emissions, to manufacture compared to conventional crystal silicon solar cells. Earlier this year, Honda Soltec introduced a new CIGS cell with a smaller solar panel design, adding to more efficient installation in limited spaces on a wide range of roof shapes. The conversion efficiency of the new solar cell module is expected to exceed 13 percent, ranking it among the world's most efficient CIGS-based thin-film solar cells.

In Japan, where Honda first began selling its CIGS solar cells in October 2008, Honda is utilizing Honda Soltec solar cells in 15 facilities, including most of its factories and major R&D facilities, with a total output of 2.5 megawatts.

HPD is American Honda's North American racing development and sales organization, operating out of a 123,000-square-foot building in Santa Clarita, CA. The two-story structure houses comprehensive motorsports research and development operations, including design, development engineering, prototype and production parts manufacturing, race-engine preparation and rebuilding areas, and a material analysis laboratory. Recently, HPD has undertaken a number of "green racing" motorsports initiatives, including developing and campaigning hybrid and alternative-fuel Honda race vehicles.

In the area of green-building technology, HPD already utilizes a thermal energy storage system that employs chillers to produce ice during off-peak evening hours, as well as using energy-efficient lighting fixtures with motion sensing capability, and a drip-type landscape irrigation system.