Honda FIT EV can charge with solar power. That get Honda thinking? (Image Credit: Honda)
Honda (the car company, not the star soccer player) is going solar. Also, thanks to the low cost of solar today and incentives for selling solar power to the grid, the famous Japanese car company is going solar in a big way and will sell surplus electricity to the Japanese grid. (What, you thought Honda was becoming a solar power developer?)
Honda will install 70,000 solar panels (yes, 70 thousand!) at a new test course it is building in the city of Sakura in Tochigi prefecture, Japan.
Here are some more details from a Honda news release:
In 2007 Honda initially announced its plan to build a large-scale test course featuring a high-speed circuit with a 4 km long track, but postponed the plan due to the global economic recession that began in 2008. Reflecting recent changes in the business environment surrounding the automobile industry and in the market needs, Honda modified the purpose and scale of the plan and decided to build the new test course (approximately 25 ha in size) which will be utilized for the development of advanced safety technologies.
In addition, Honda will build a solar power generation system with an annual capacity of 10 MW within the same property in Sakura. After installing approximately 70,000 solar panels on an approximately 33 ha lot, Honda is planning to begin sales of the generated electricity in 2015. Moreover, as a part of its effort to conserve the natural environment, Honda is also planning to build a biotope within the property and will welcome members of the local community to enjoy it.
Pretty cool. But don’t be fooled. Honda isn’t going solar in such a big way because it is an environmental saint. It’s going solar in a big way because doing so provides huge financial benefits to the company. It’s the same as with 74% of the homeowners who go solar today. (Ask them… or at least actors pretending to be them.)
Solar power offers one of the best returns on investment (ROI) around. Don’t miss out, go solar today (or at least get a solar quote).
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