DOE eyes solar panels for schools

Business Mirror

23 Feb 2014 

 

Written by Lenie Lectura

THE Department of Energy (DOE) wants all private schools in areas serviced by Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to have solar panels installed in school building rooftops  by 2015.

If successful, the total capacity of the solar power installed within the schools will reach 270 megawatts (MW), said Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla.

A pilot program will be implemented in seven schools with an initial 2.4 MW. The budget, which Petilla said will be shouldered by the private sector, is around $3 million.

“The start of installation would be in March. Per campus, it’s going to be 100 kilovolt-amps but there will be seven schools or a total of 24 campuses in all. [The program] will be in place by June and at no cost to the government,” said Petilla.

Petilla said the use of solar power can help reduce the cost electricity by about P2 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

“For solar, it’s going to be P9.50 per kWh while it’s P11.50 per kWh for Meralco.  The 270-MW solar power capacity is only for private schools’ rooftops. I see no reason why this won’t be successful,” added Petilla.

Meralco remains the country’s largest electricity distributor with more than 5 million customers. Its franchise area covers 31 cities and 80 municipalities, including Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal Cavite, parts of Laguna, Quezon, Batangas and Pampanga.   source