Solar energy use for homes, businesses get boost in form of financing options

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A media forum dubbed as "Usapang Maliwanag: Financing Solar Energy for Houses and Businesses" was held recently is part of the Solar Rooftop Challenge, which highlights the benefits of using solar energy while busting misconceptions that hinder individuals and companies from taking it up.

It showcases existing solar rooftop installations of urban middle class households, celebrities, churches, schools, government buildings and private establishments, as well as empowering stories of people who have joined the solar rooftop revolution in the country.

Proving that solar energy is accessible to common Filipinos, Greenpeace Philippines gathered financing institutions and solar providers to connect energy consumers to easy financing options available in the market and help increase solar energy use in homes and businesses.

Photo opportunity for the panelists of Solar Energy forum at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe, on Wednesday, August 17, 2016, left to right: Moderator Wilson Lee Flores of Philippines Star, Julius Respicio of BPI, Yeb Saño, Executive Director for Southeast Asia GreenPeace, Voltire Tupaz, Head of Sales , Solar Philippines, and Mike de Guzman, President of Solaric Philippines. ©Greenpeace 

Availing of financing packages spreads the initial costs in putting up solar installations over the long term while already generating savings on electricity costs.

In particularly, Solar rooftops can create huge impacts in lowering monthly electricity bills and the growing availability of financial assistance for those who want to avail of solar installations is a great opportunity to harness the power of the sun and break away from our dependence on fossil fuel generated electricity, like coal.

"Now is the best time to switch on the power of renewables for each home and business to be at the forefront of our fight against catastrophic climate change. The call for the uptake of solar energy is not an empty appeal to each individual's altruism but, as we are attesting today, incentives await in the form of cheap and reliable energy. Financial solutions are widely available from many institutions, and after today, we are expecting more. For both homes and businesses, renewable energy is the way to go," said YebSaño, Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

At present, the Philippines produces 29 percent of its electricity through renewable sources, with the Department of Energy looking to raise it to 40 percent by 2020. The mainstream adoption of renewable energy will result in creation of jobs and lower power generation costs that allow households to return the difference in savings to their budgets.

"It is important to note that while large-scale solar power plants are being constructed and going online in the Philippines, there is still a huge amount of solar energy potential that remains untapped. This is where solar rooftop installations on homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses can complete the picture of a country like the Philippines moving towards a higher share of renewable energy in its power generation mix. The energy revolution will happen right on the rooftops of Filipinos' homes," said Reuben Muni, Climate and Energy Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia Philippines.

Muni also called for a more robust participation of both the government and business sector to further push the growth and development of renewable energy in the country.

“A strong relationship between the public and private institutions, as well as progressive legislations, should boost our transition to renewable energy. It encouragesand provides incentives to more people and businesses who opt to use the technology,” Muni added.

Greenpeace Philippines is joined by speakers from Home Development Mutual Fund (PAG IBIG Fund), who discussed how its members can avail of their Home Improvement Loan, which can cover the cost of purchase and installation of solar panels. Also in the forum are Solaric Philippines, Solar Philippines and Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Journalist, columnist and owner of the Kamuning Bakery Café, where the media forum was held, Wilson Lee Flores, also shared how his decision to use hybrid or partly solar-powered air-conditioning system in the 77-year-old café drastically lowered his monthly electricity bills.

Average Filipino’s guide to solar rooftops

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Step 1. Get to know solar power

It’s always a good idea to get yourself acquainted with new technology, and how others are using it. The use of solar power is no different, and getting behind cleaner, more sustainable energy starts with eliminating any doubts you may have, once and for all.

Local celebrity solar champions have teamed up with Greenpeace for the Juana Solar Busts a Myth in Minutes series (you can watch them on http://www.iwantsolar.ph) to break the most common renewable energy myths that bring about these doubts.

Ask a friend or relative who’s a solar consumer directly about his/her experience. It's also a great idea to look into first-hand accounts from solar energy users. These solar stories are where you’re most likely to get the answers you're looking for.

It's also worth reading up on how light energy is converted into electricity. Many sites offer comprehensive yet newbie-friendly materials on the science behind solar panels, like Save On Energy’s article on how solar panels work.

Step 2. Do an energy audit

It’s necessary to find out how much energy you consume. It’s a crucial step in determining the solar equipment you’ll need, and also helps you determine how much you can save in terms of both energy efficiency and production.

With a bit of research, you can conduct the energy audit yourself or seek the help of a solar panel provider. Most providers can even give you an estimate of how much you can save on your monthly electricity bill with each specific number of solar panels you install.

Once you know the amount of power you need after installing energy efficient systems, then you can decide on and ask your preferred provider about the following:

Partial System vs. Full System - you can opt to acquire a system to power your entire home or start with having certain appliances or parts of your house powered by solar energy.

Off-grid setup vs. Grid-tied setup - An off-grid setup allows you to be independent from the power supplier in your area. With an off-grid setup you’ll need a controller, inverter, and batteries to be able to store energy for nighttime use. With a Grid-tied setup, you produce solar energy from solar panels and sell the energy back to your local electric company. This setup can lower your electricity bills with net metering.

Type and size of panels (including size of battery, charge controller and inverter, if not connected to the grid) - The type and size of panels will depend on your budget, energy needs, available space and location. It’s best to consult with your provider on this.

Step 3. Financing

There are already many financing options available for those looking to solarize their homes or businesses. Some solar panel providers offer in-house financing in easy installments, while banks like BPI and BDO offer loans specifically for solar home installations.

PAG-IBIG also offers loans for the purchase and installation of solar panels to members who want to save on electricity costs with renewable energy through the agency’s Home Improvement Loan.

Step 4. Purchase & Installation

Another thing to consider when you purchase solar panels is finding the optimal space for it in your home.

We highly recommend that you leave the installation to experts to avoid safety hazards. Most providers can tell the optimal location and orientation of the panels.

You may visit http://www.iwantsolar.ph/solarize-your-home for a downloadable list of solar panel providers in the Philippines.

Step 5. Reap the benefits and share your story!

If it’s good to connect with like-minded individuals early on, it’s even better to share your experience with many more who are scared of taking the first step. Your solar story can change lives!

Demonstrating the benefits of solar energy will call attention to the slow progress of renewable energy uptake in the country's energy mix. This will increase the pressure on newly elected officials to do their part in speeding up the shift to clean, renewable energy, which is also the key to the Philippines' energy independence.

Best of all, you get to play an active role in the imminent transition to a 100% clean energy future.

Greenpeace busts myths on Renewable Energy with The Solar Rooftop Challenge

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Greenpeace launched the Solar Rooftop Challenge, and presented at the media and guests held at the Bonifacio High Street last June 15, 2016. On the eve of the start of the comprehensive government energy policy review, and proving that the incoming rainy season is not an impediment to fully embrace solar energy, Solar Rooftop Challenge, an aggressive information campaign highlights the potentials of producing solar energy in the Philippines.

The Solar Rooftop Challenge highlights the benefits of using solar and busts misguided notions that hinder individuals and companies from taking it up by showcasing existing solar rooftop installations of urban middle class households, celebrities, churches, schools, government buildings and private establishments, and through sharing empowering stories of people who have joined the solar rooftop revolution in the country.

Renewable Energy advocates Illac Diaz (from left), Jun Sabayton, Jasmin Curtis-Smith and Saab Magalona grace the launching of the Greenpeace Solar Rooftop Challenge at the Bonifacio High Street on June 15, 2016. The Solar Rooftop Challenge is a massive information campaign that highlights the potentials of producing solar energy in the Philippines and creates a platform for the young and urban Filipinos to join the discussion on renewable energy, particularly the use of solar energy. ©Greenpeace

"Today, we are launching the Solar Rooftop Challenge to create a platform for the young and urban Filipinos to join the discussion on renewable energy, particularly the use of solar energy. At the same time that the young, hip and trendy Filipinos are ‘arriving’, so is the use of solar energy,” explained Reuben Muni, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia Philippines.

The launch event featured informative lectures and discussions by Obet Verzola, author of the book Crossing Over: the Energy Transition to Renewable Energy and Executive Director of Center for Renewable Electricity Strategies (CREST), and Dann Diez, Executive Director of Sustainable Energy and Enterprise Development for Communities, who presented data and experiences showing that solar energy installation is affordable, accessible and more cost-effective in the long run.

The launch also unveiled the video series JuanaSolar Busts a Myth in Minutes, which features celebrity advocates Saab Magalona, Yam Concepcion and Dingdong Dantes busting the myths surrounding the use of solar energy.

The videos debunk the myths that solar energy is expensive, unreliable, impractical, uneconomic, and beyond the reach of the average Filipino.

The Solar Rooftop Challenge also happens at the same time that the Philippine government is starting its comprehensive review of the country's energy policy in order to reduce dependence on coal and come up with a national framework for a just transition to renewable energy and a low-carbon economic pathway.

“By showing that many Filipinos across the country have already made the switch to solar energy, we are sending a message to the incoming Duterte Administration to take to heart this energy policy review and listen to the clamor of many more Filipinos who want clean and renewable sources of electricity for their homes, offices, and businesses,” added Muni.

By telling empowering stories, the Solar Rooftop Challenge showed that the solar revolution is already happening in many parts of the country - from a solar-powered church, to solar-powered schools, malls, and many households. It aims to serve as a platform for the thousands of Filipinos who have already embraced the solar revolution to show and tell their stories as well as exchange and share ideas and information to persuade other people who are keen on taking up the challenge of producing their own clean and renewable electricity from their rooftops.

“The stories will show energy independence through solar energy. We will break the myths surrounding renewable energy and create a powerful testament on its practicality, cost-effectiveness, and reliability to propel the Philippines to a future powered by clean and sustainable energy,” Muni said.

Southeast Asia's Largest Solar Project Inaugurated in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental

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Manila, Philippines – Helios Solar Energy Corp. (“Helios”) has today inaugurated its 132.5-megawatt (“MW”) solar generation facility in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. 

The project is Southeast Asia’s largest solar project, developed through a partnership between Gregorio Araneta, Inc. (“GAI”) and Soleq. Soleq is the market leader in the solar PV industry in the Philippines and one of Southeast Asia’s largest solar independent power producers. 

This project follows the partnership’s first solar project, a 30 MW solar generation facility in Ormoc, Leyte, which was commissioned in April 2015.

The first of its size in Southeast Asia, the project has contributed significant value and opportunities to communities in Negros Occidental having employed over 2,000 local people during the construction phase. Estimated that the project will produce 188,500 MWh of solar power per year, or enough to power an estimated 167,526 households, save 177.7 million liters of water, and lower carbon emissions by 94,627 tones per year (equivalent of 10 years of carbon sequestered by planting 2.4 million trees). 

“We are pleased to launch this ambitious project which underlies our conviction to support the country’s shift to more renewable energy. This project also demonstrates our country’s ability to develop world-class renewable energy projects and establishes the Philippines’ foothold as a frontrunner in renewable energy,” said Gregorio Araneta III, Helios Chairman.

About GAI

GAI is a Philippine holding company engaged in real estate, transportation, telecommunication, security and protection services, environmental protection services, oil/petroleum storage facilities and project management. The company continues to grow and is now focusing mainly on real estate investment and development, as well as power generation through its subsidiaries.

About Soleq

Soleq is one of Southeast Asia’s largest solar independent power producers. Soleq has successfully constructed and commissioned 13 projects across Thailand and the Philippines, and has a significant development portfolio. Soleq is an Equis invested platform. 

About Equis

Founded and headquartered in Singapore, Equis is Asia’s largest independent renewable energy developer and investor. Equis is also Asia’s largest independent energy and infrastructure fund manager. With more than US$2.7 billion of funds under management, Equis and its invested platforms employ over 500 professionals across thirteen (13) Asian offices in Manila, Aomori, Bangalore, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kasama, New Delhi, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo.

Pres. Aquino leads the green switch launch of the 1.5 MW solar-powered rooftop

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"We are marking a moment in history with the launch of solar rooftop power plant." -  President Benigno S. Aquino III

President Benigno Aquino lll, along with SM Prime Holdings President Hans Sy and Solar Philippines President Leandro Leviste, switched on the 1.5 MW solar-powered rooftop at the multi-level car park building of SM City North EDSA.on Monday, November 24.  Joining the activation of the solar panels are Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla.

Philippine retail and property giant SM Prime Holdings Inc. is building the largest commercial solar rooftop in the Philippines as part of its commitment to use clean, renewable and sustainable energy in its operations. 

After switching on the largest solar-powered rooftop in its Quezon City establishment, the mall operator unit of Sy-led SM Prime Holdings Inc. will embark on putting more solar installations in its other malls in 2015.

Solar Philippines is the company behind the largest commercial rooftop solar power  projects in the country.

"With the launch of the solar power system that will make SM City North EDSA the very first SM mall in the Philippines to become solar-powered," the President said in his inaugural address.

With a generating capacity of 1.5MW, the solar-powered rooftop can supposedly accommodate 5 percent of the mall's average consumption per day—equivalent to about P2 million in savings per month. SM Prime and Solar Philippines installed 5,760 solar panels on the roof deck of car park building of the mall.

Solar Philippines founder and president Leandro Leviste said the investment for the 1.5 MW solar-powered rooftop is approximately P120 million. 

Leviste said the investment cost for MOA's solar panels would be over P200 million and roughly P60 million for SM City Dasmariñas. 

"If MOA is double the size, double the cost. If Dasma is half the size, then half the cost," he noted.

In his speech, the President also bared SM's plans to install solar panels in SM Dasmariñas in Cavite and Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

"Of course, it is my hope that you do not stop there: that, eventually, every building that boasts an SM logo will have the same kinds of solar facilities," Aquino noted. 

“We are hopeful that both the House and the Senate will approve the joint resolution we requested sooner rather than later, in order to give the national government enough time to contract the necessary reserves,” Aquino said in his speech

SM Supermalls president Annie Garcia said the SM Group will be installing 3,243 solar panels in SM City Dasmariñas in Cavite with a capacity of 0.8 MW and 10,534 solar panels in SM Mall of Asia (MOA) with a 2.7-MW capacity.

SM Prime Holdings, the country's largest retail and mall operator, will energize two of its chain of SM malls with solar panels by next year.

"SM City Dasmarinas in Cavite will power 800 kilowatts kW, made up of about 3,243 solar panels, while SM Mall of Asia (MOA) in Pasay will power 2.7 megawatts (MWs) with 10,534 solar panels," SM Supermalls President Anna Maria Garcia told reporters Monday.

Garcia said that the solar panels would start operations by May 2015 for the Dasma located mall, while the panels for MOA would be completed before the end of 2015.

SM said the Solar Rooftop project was part of its continuing commitment towards making its operations sustainable and environment friendly, along with its aim to alleviate the Luzon reserve shortage by the summer of 2015.

The panels will be installed by Solar Philippines, which is the same company that supplied the panel installations Monday at SM North Edsa.

Solar Power Philippines is Southeast Asia’s largest developer of rooftop power plants. It also put up solar panels at Binan Mall with 700-kilowatt installed capacity on Sept. 22. 

"SM will continue to partner with Solar Philippines for the next solar installations. The partners are also studying if it will be feasible to have more malls to have the same solar installation," Garcia noted.

"Of course we have to study it, how malls can afford it. It really depends on the study of Solar Philippines for us," she said.

"But we shall continue to seek ways and solutions in climate change adaptation. We shall continue to heed government's call to action," Garcia said.

The SM official shared that the solar-powered rooftop in SM City North EDSA is not the group's first venture in renewable energy (RE).

"This is SM Prime's first in the Philippines. Our giant first step in clean, RE in the country. Last year we energized SM City Xiamen in China with 1.1 MW solar energy utilizing 3,740 panels," Garcia added. 

The 1.5 Mw solar panel bank atop SM Supermall along EDSA North Ave. in Quezon City, during its launching on Monday, November 24. The panels are touted to be able to meet 5% of the mall's power requirements.

“We are hopeful that both the House and the Senate will approve the joint resolution we requested sooner rather than later, in order to give the national government enough time to contract the necessary reserves,” Aquino said.

“Most of you may be aware of current projections: If we do not adjust accordingly, Luzon might experience a shortage of a minimum of around 300 megawatts to a maximum of 1,000 MW next summer. This is not a challenge the national government can overcome alone, which is why we are working with all sectors to address this issue,” Aquino said.

“For example, through the interruptible load program (ILP), the SM Group will deload 57.9 MW during critical times when supply falls short of demand. This might not be enough to address that shortage, but it is indeed a very significant step forward, and will hopefully spur other businesses to follow suit,” he said.

The President said the government is doing everything in its power to overcome this challenge and cited the decision of the House of Representatives’ committees on energy and on ways and means to authorize the national government to contract additional generating capacity to prevent an energy shortage.

He said the government is also looking for ways to lessen the demand for electricity, especially during peak hours.

Other guests are Speaker Sonny Belmonte; Secretary Icot Petilla; Senator Loren Legarda; Mr. Hans Sy; Ms. Tessie Sy-Coson; Mr. Leandro Leviste; Ms. Anna Marie Garcia; Congressman Boy Calalay; Mayor Herbert Bautista; Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte; and Mr. Alfonso Sy.

Magsaysay Awardees Hande, Mishra collaborate to electrify rural India

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Two Indians, Harish Hande and Nileema Mishra, both 2011 Ramon Magsaysay awardees, are connecting their respective solutions to bring affordable solar energy to rural villages in India.

“Today at least 1.6 billion people lack access to reliable energy services. But to reach them in a sustainable manner, diverse delivery models have to be developed, as there is not going to be a one-size-fits-all solution,” said Hande in an article for The Climate Group.

This year, Hande’s SELCO India and Mishra’s Bhagini Nivedita Gramin Vigyan Niketan (BNGVN), as well as the Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S3IDF) are partnering to provide solar home-lighting systems in 700 households. 

They will bring their transformative solutions for sustainable energy to some of rural India’s off-the-electricity-grid villages under The Climate Group’s Bijli-Clean Energy Program. The program aims to bring marginalized communities onto the energy access map and to create a program that is environmentally and financially sustainable.

SELCO India’s partnership with S3IDF and BNGVN “will establish a long-term revolving fund that creates a channel of end user financing, to help establish an entire ecosystem of technology and financial support to the rural customer which can be highly replicable,” according to a write-up in theclimategroup.org. It will provide decentralized clean energy in Maharashtra, India’s Nandurbar district, in whose outskirts households typically use kerosene lanterns to light their homes because they are not connected to the national electric grid. These inefficient kerosene lamps are environmentally hazardous and expensive, and they can pose significant health issues to the rural villagers.

Both Mishra and Hande became recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for their work of empowering people from rural areas. Mishra’s BNGVN enabled villagers with the capacity to provide means to livelihood and have a self-sustaining ecosystem, while Hande’s SELCO India enhanced the quality of life of underserved households and livelihoods through affordable, sustainable energy solutions.

Sikat II seeks podium finish in world solar race today

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Sikat II Updates :

Glendambo, South Australia – The Philippines’ Sikat II has reached eight of the nine control stops of the 2013 World Solar Challenge, the global solar car race currently being held in the Australian continent. 

The country’s representative to the biennial event travelled a total of 2,171 solar miles, keeping its third place ranking in the Adventure Class. A solar mile is the distance traveled by a vehicle relying solely on the sun’s energy.

Sikat II is expected to reach the finish line in Adelaide on October 11.

Team Manager Dr. Alvin Culaba is hopeful that the Philippines will be among the top finishers. “The race to the finish line is exciting because we are being challenged by the unpredictable weather, but the team is confident that we will cross the finish line with the world’s best. 

Team Sikat Solar Philippines is composed of a core group of mechanical and electrical engineering students and faculty members from De La Salle University. Additional improvements, which took seven months to complete, were applied to Sikat II to make it race-ready for WSC 2013.

First Phil Holdings, First Gen, Energy Development Corporation, Sunpower, Ufreight, Shell, and Motolite helped make the improved Sikat II possible.

The solar car team wishes to further the cause of promoting the use of renewable energy and clean technologies in the field of transportation. 

Started in 1987, the World Solar Challenge has been a strong platform for young engineers and scientists from all over the world for the pursuing the ideals of sustainable transport. Forty-two teams from 24 countries are competing this year.

Google’s resource page for Philippine elections gets hits from over 50 countries

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For the Philippine elections 2013, the Google’s resource page gets hits from over 50 countries around the world. Since its launch on the first week of May, Google’s Philippine elections resource page (Google.com.ph/elections) has been getting hits from over 50 countries around over the world. As of this writing, the resource page has been visited by Internet users from as far as Uzbekistan, Rwanda, Finland, and the Netherlands.

The resource page is a collaboration between Google Philippines and broadcast networks ABS-CBN, GMA, PTV, and SOLARtv, and online news portals Rappler.com, PhilStar.com, Inquirer.net and Interaksyon.com. The site brings together election-related updates from Google Philippines’ partner media establishments in one platform.

The content-rich Elections Page contains stories culled from various local news sites. Users can search for election-related news information by political party or national issue. Broadcast coverage are also aggregated from participating networks’ YouTube channels into one tab. Election-related incidents are also plotted on a Google Maps map tile of the Philippines embedded in the site. This provides Internet users a visual idea of crisis and violence levels in areas of interest.

“We are proud to see that many Filipinos outside the Philippines are finding the site helpful. The millions of overseas Filipinos, including the 700,000 registered absentee voters abroad, are out of reach of the candidates’ traditional campaign propaganda. Through the site, we are able to make election-related information accessible to them, helping them make their decision come election day,” said Narciso Reyes, Google Philippines Country Manager.

Solar Day Pilipinas!

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Tomorrow will officially mark the first ever Solar Day Pilipinas! WWF, in partnership with the Philippine Solar Power Alliance, will launch this one day event to promote the use of solar technology in our very sunny country that is incredibly rich with solar energy resources!

You can come and talk to numerous solar power developers who'll be at the event and ask questions, canvass, and get a basic assessment of whether solar power makes sense for you! And as a matter of fact, it almost always does!

Did you know that apart from reducing the amount of electricity you pay per month in your electricity bill, installing a solar panel could also reduce the peso rate per kWh that you pay? Yes, it's true! All residential homes are categorized into certain brackets based on your consumption, from 50kWh to 500kWh! Each bracket has a different rate for distribution charges because the more you consume, the more resources are focused sending electricity toyour home! By installing a solar panel, you not only reduce your total bill, but you could also lower your bracket of electricity consumption, thereby decreasing the rate per kWh that you're paying!

Not only that but when electricity from the grid is unavailable due to power outages, your solar panel will still produce electricity for your home, allowing your home to become independent from the limitations of the power grid! And you're definitely helping the environment too and not being held ransom by rising fossil fuel prices!

So let's see each other tomorrow at Arts in the City in Fort Bonifacio!

Gates open at 5pm!

Together, we can prove that it's more SUN in the Philippines!