Published October 12, 2019, 10:00 PM
By Myrna M.
Velasco
Government-run National
Electrification Agency (NEA) is accelerating the deployment of solar
photovoltaic (PV) technologies for the energization of off-grid and far-flung
areas nationwide.
As disclosed, the agency programmed
to roll out 5,039 solar home systems (SHS) for off-grid communities starting
this year – and these installations had been funneled with a total subsidy of
P153 million.
NEA indicated that at least five
electric cooperatives (ECs) will be involved in the initial solar PV rollout
plan – including Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative Inc. (BISELCO), Camarines
Sur IV Electric Cooperative Inc. (CASURECO IV), Iloilo III Electric Cooperative
Inc. (ILECO III), Cotabato Electric Cooperative Inc. (COTELCO); and Zamboanga
del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc. (ZANECO).
According to Engineer Ernesto
Silvano Jr., acting manager of NEA Total Electrification and Renewable Energy
Development Department, the five ECs had already been greenlighted to undertake
competitive bidding “for the procurement and installation of SHS units.”
The electrification agency official
indicated that the installation of solar home systems had been targeted to
start this year.
Based on allocation, the bulk of the
solar home systems will be for the Busuanga power utility for 1,200 units;
1,063 units for Cotabato; 967 units for Zamboanga; 931 units for Iloilo; and
878 units for Camarines Sur.
With the target of the Duterte
administration to achieve full electrification of all households nationwide
until 2022, NEA has been counting on the deployment of renewable energy
technologies to achieve this goal – primarily within the precept of “micro
grid” business model.
Solar PV is a technology option that
NEA has been turning to in the goal to finally provide electricity access to
more than 2.0 million more of Filipinos denied of such access for the longest
time.
Renewable energy technologies,
including hybrid tech deployments – as well as the micro grids have been among
the array of installations that the government has been studying to bring power
to the under-served and un-energized domains of the country.
NEA has opined that the
mainstreaming of RE technologies, chiefly solar PVs and solar home systems,
could be a workable recourse for many off-grid areas in the Philippines.
In particular, for the PV
mainstreaming program in the country, this is carried out by the Department of
Energy (DOE) and funded by the EU-ASEP through the World Bank.
Meanwhile, the Local Government
Unit-Guarantee Corporation (LGU-GC) serves as program manager; while the NEA is
the implementing arm given its supervisory function over the electric cooperatives.
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