New Major Player

[wdyasq]

Honda has anounced it is entering the Solar cell manufacturing frey.  It should mean panels less than $3 watt.

The links:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/12/honda_entering_.html

http://tinyurl.com/bljqg

Honda already has the inevrter technology.  They may become a major player and force in the RE community.

Ron

[monte350c]

Thanks for the link Ron.

This is really worth watching - I'd love to get some solar and if this is done in the way they usually do things the lower prices will make it a lot more attractive.

Ted.

[Jon Miller]

Looks to be a wise investment on Hondas part, thats a good turnover for that amount of envestment and means we will get better cheaper pannles i am all for it.  Thanks for the links

[wooferhound]

If Honda does good, and makes cheap solar cells that work,

Then BP will buy them out and keep prices artificially inflated.

Thats how it's all worked in the past . . .

[dinges]

Let's hope it works. Have doubts though:

1. what production capacity are they installing; enough to have a significant impact on this oligopolic market. (few suppliers, many buyers)
   
2. non-silicon sounded good to me. However, when indium and gallium are mentioned, I get visions of the last time I wanted to buy a few kg. of indium and got some quotes.
   
   

Just have to wait and see, I'm afraid. And if BP buys them out, there will be a new supplier. Free enterprise, anyone? Hmm, maybe it's time for ME to get into PV-cell manufacture...

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[zyewdall]

Honda is actually not a very big player in solar yet.  They are talking about putting a 20 or 30MW plant in, from what I have heard.  This is tiny in today's solar industry.  Sharp is the big one, with over 600MW planned for this year (total world market estimated to be 2700MW).  There are a bunch of other ones at about 200MW each.

http://www.earthscan.co.uk/news/article/mps/UAN/27/v/3/sp/332223698130342880338

has some 2003 data.  It's doubled since then, with Japan increasing market share compared to the US and europe, and China entering the market.  The US, which used to be 80% of world PV manufacturing only 15 years ago, is now down to 10 or 15%.