JGC Holdings Corporation has begun a demonstration project for film-based solar cells at Honda's Suzuka Factory. The project applies a sheet installation method to the factory roof to verify power-generation performance, heat-shielding effects and maintainability under actual operating conditions.
JGC Holdings Corporation announced that, as JGC Group's domestic operating company, it will conduct a demonstration of the sheet installation method for film-based solar cells at Honda's Suzuka Factory in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, through around early February 2027. In collaboration with Mie Prefecture and Honda Motor Co., Ltd., the project will verify the installability, safety and maintainability of the method on the factory building's standing-seam metal roof. The demonstration will use PXP film-based chalcopyrite solar cells and will comprise linked modules measuring 3.3 metres long by 0.5 metres wide, with a demonstration scale of approximately 1 kW and an installation area of 16 square metres.
The sheet installation method combines lightweight modules with heat-shielding sheets and quantitatively verifies the effect of reducing heat transfer into the building by comparing temperature differences between areas with and without installations. The electricity generated will be stored in exchangeable batteries, and the CO2 reduction effect will also be verified based on anticipated use in electric scooters.
Because film-based solar cells are thinner, lighter and more flexible than conventional silicon-based cells, they are expected to have potential for installation at facilities subject to load-bearing or roof-shape constraints. Through this demonstration, JGC will explore potential applications not only at factories but also at logistics facilities and other sites.