By Alena Mae S. Flores | Nov. 20, 2014
at 11:01pm [ manilastandardtoday.com ]
President Benigno Aquino III is set to
inaugurate on Monday a 1.5-megawatt solar rooftop project that will make SM
North Edsa in Quezon City the world’s largest solar-powered mall.
Solar Philippines teamed up with SM
Malls to build the first of the solar rooftop projects as part of SM Group’s
commitment to using clean and
renewable energy
Solar Philippines said it outfitted
the North Edsa parking building with 5,760 solar panels and 60 inverters
covering over 12,000 square meters.
The 1.5-MW solar rooftop project would
augment the mall’s power requirements, or the equivalent of 2,000 Filipino
homes.
It is expected to operate for over 25
years and offset an estimated 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent
of planting 200,000 trees.
Solar Philippines took the lead in
accelerating the adoption of solar energy as a solution to climate change and
the power crisis. The company’s mission is to make solar affordable and
accessible to every home and business in the country.
“The days of having to choose between
business and the environment are over,” said Leandro Leviste, president of
Solar Philippines.
“Solar has gained the reputation of
being expensive, not because of the technology, but because previous efforts
were too small to benefit from economies of scale. By building the country’s
largest projects, we’ve become the first local company to make solar
cost-competitive with fossil fuel,” Leviste said.
Solar Philippines said as it expanded
into more high profile commercial projects, it would take advantage of
economies of scale to bring solar to the residential market at more affordable
prices.
It recently introduced residential
packages, empowering Metro Manila homeowners to drastically cut their
electricity bills, taking the company further along its mission of bringing
solar to every home and business in the country.
Solar Philippines financed, designed
and constructed the entire system at zero upfront cost to the Central Biñan
Mall, which was recently completed. Solar electricity is supplied directly to
the mall at below the rates of Manila Electric Co., generating savings to the
mall owner.
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