Education key to help boost usage of solar power

CEBU, Philippines — Education is the key to increase the usage of rooftop solar panels among commercial establishments and even individual consumers.

Jose Rafael Mendoza, assistant vice president for business attraction of Aboitiz Power's distribution group, said the adoption of rooftop solar panels as source of power could only increase if consumers are educated well on its sustainable benefits.

"We're quite behind in the Philippines (in terms of adoption)," he said in an interview yesterday at the sidelines of the Innovation Summit in Waterfront Hotel Cebu.

He said commercial consumers see putting up rooftop solar panels in their establishments as a sustainable move and a way to "de-carbonize" their operations. 

He added that investing into solar power panels could also be a cost-saving strategy for commercial and individual consumers alike.

However, he cited that some may not see this as a lucrative investment as the solar panel system's payback period may take 5-7 years.

He likewise noted the rising number of companies offering solar panels and the ample supply in the local market.

"But there should be formal efforts to educate the community on this technology," he said.

In Cebu, one of the notable companies using rooftop solar panels is the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. The airport's rooftop solar power system resulted in monthly savings of P1.2 million in electric consumption.

AboitizPower’s rooftop solar unit AboitizPower Distributed Energy (APX) Inc began operating the 100-kilowatt installation on top of the Aboitiz office in Cebu City, its first project.

The company highlighted its entry into this small-scale market segment while expanding its already diverse Cleanergy portfolio.

“We want to show customers our confidence in the technology and its capability by putting it on our own roof,” Mendoza, also general manager of APX, previously said.

Aside from this, the company is also looking at several other projects in Luzon and Visayas, some of which are set for completion in 2018.

Mendoza had said he hoped this project will encourage others to pursue their own sustainability efforts and that utilizing distributed energy such as rooftop solar is a real step forward for those who want to do so.

The power firm first entered the solar power market in 2016 with its 59-megawatt peak San Carlos Sun (Sacasun) project in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

Through its Cleanergy brand, the company, together with its partners, now has a net sellable capacity of 1,272 MW.

The company has a wide portfolio of renewable energy plants under Cleanergy, which includes geothermal, run-of-river hydro, and large hydropower facilities all over the country.

AboitizPower is pushing for a balanced mix strategy by maximizing Cleanergy while taking advantage of the reliability as well as cost-efficiency of thermal power plants.