Honda Philippines Inc. is taking serious steps on its decarbonization journey, and it just concretized this goal with the commercial kick-off of its 1.056-megawatt solar rooftop facility that will partly provide for its electricity requirements.

The solar rooftop was installed by solutions provider Skye Renewables for the Japanese car firm’s manufacturing plant in Tanauan, Batangas.

As designed, the solar rooftop project has been equipped with1,958 panels – and the capacity for each had been placed at 540 watts. Overall, the generation capacity of the installation will account for roughly 35% of the daytime energy demand of the car firm.

According to Honda Philippines President Sayaka Arai-Hattori, the solar facility serves as the company’s “crucial step towards achieving our global carbon neutrality goal by 2050.”

He added that HPI’s shift to clean energy source “embodies our commitment to environmental responsibility and demonstrates our dedication to inspiring a more sustainable future for both our employees and customers."

On the environmental benefits precept, the solar facility will enable Honda Philippines to utilize  roughly 1,267-megawatt hours (MWh) of clean energy on a yearly basis – and that in turn will significantly reduce the company’s reliance on power supply generated from fossil fuels.

“The inauguration of HPI's solar power project is a testament to the power of collaboration between leading corporations and renewable energy developers. This project sets a strong example for other businesses to embrace sustainable practices and contribute to a healthier planet for generations to come,” the car firm stressed.

Being HPI’s partner in that renewable energy (RE) solution track, Skye Renewables Philippines Head Gary Espino emphasized that the solar facility can provide Honda’s power needs for daytime operations, and will just draw supply from the grid as warranted.

As a ‘prosumer’ or consumer producing for its electricity needs, Honda Philippines can also inject any surplus generation that its solar rooftop could yield at its operations.

“This clean energy will power HPI's operations during the day, and if needed, they can seamlessly switch to grid electricity when necessary. In some countries, even excess solar energy can be fed back to the grid,” Espino reiterated.

He expounded that “with this project, we helped install the solar panels, which then convert the energy of the sun's photons into electricity.”

Within the facility’s operating life cycle, Honda Philippines will also be generating cost savings, as electricity supplied from solar is typically cheaper if compared to the services rendered by incumbent power utilities.

“This project is a testament to the power of collaboration, and we believe it paves the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future for all,” Espino asserted.