Filinvest starts commercial operations of solar rooftop

MANILA, Philippines — Filinvest-ENGIE Renewable Energy Enterprise Inc. (FREE) has commenced commercial operations of its first project, a solar rooftop solution.

FREE is a joint venture between FDC Utilities Inc., the power utility arm of Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC) and ENGIE Services Philippines.

The project is a 2.8 MW solar rooftop solution at FLI’s Festival Mall in Alabang. The solar rooftop system will supply about 28 percent of the mall’s peak demand and save close to 41,000 tons of CO2, equivalent to removing about 9,000 cars off the roads of Metro Manila.

In 2020, FREE signed a 20-year solar power purchase agreement with FLI and has since completed the installation of 5,303 photovoltaic solar panels on the rooftops of Festival Mall.

FREE president and CEO Juan Eugenio Roxas said the company is committed to building sustainable and resilient communities and environments.

“This partnership is a testament to how we can shape and help accelerate the Philippines’ effort in mitigating global warming. Our strategic alliance with ENGIE has established past track records of success and proven end-to-end low carbon expertise. We are confident that together, we can push forward the frontiers on the energy transition and meet our ambitious goals,” Roxas said.

Proponents hope the initiative will support the country’s national agenda of arresting the impact of climate change.

Filinvest senior vice president for Mixed-Use/HRB and Retail Joey Santos said that sustainability and protecting the environment are part of the core values of FLI.

“ENGIE is delighted to play a pivotal role in helping the country grow its economy sustainably and to contribute to building the momentum on climate action and decarbonization,” said Thomas Baudlot, CEO Energy Solutions APAC, country head Southeast Asia at ENGIE South East Asia,” he said.