By Danessa Rivera (The
Philippine Star) | Updated October 10, 2016 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines – Southern Leyte
Electric Cooperative Inc. (Soleco) has put up a picohydro power generation
system, the first of its kind in the country, state-run National
Electrification Administration (NEA) said.
In a statement, NEA said Soleco’s
picohydro system, which started operating in Aug. 12, utilizes tail water from
the Hanabian Minihydro Power Plant and generates power of up to 600 watts with
maximum water flow velocity of 4.6 meter per second.
It has partnered with Helios Altas
and DA Green Power Consultancy which also undertook development of project
feasibility studies.
Using the mechanism of a waterwheel,
the picohydro system has an engineered suspension system for easy mounting,
making it one of the most adaptable small-scale renewable energy (RE)
technologies to environmental changes.
Soleco general manager Jonathan
Empeño said the system is already synchronized to the grid, allowing the
electric coop to sell generated power at a blended generation cost.
He said the approximate cost of
picohydro system below five kilowatts (kW) was $8,500/kW, while cost for five
kW and above was estimated at $5,500/kW. Cost includes engineering design, construction,
equipment installation, and commissioning.
According to DA Green Power
Consultancy chief operating officer Regino Galindes, the picohydro power
generation system poses minimal modifications to existing water systems as it
uses a modular and scalable energy device that can easily harness power from
running water in rivers, irrigation canals, and base of dams.
He added it only took two days to
install the Soleco picohydro power system and could easily be dismounted if
there are warnings of flood or typhoon.
To keep the picohydro facilities in
check, a remote monitoring device was likewise installed in the system to
prompt data and important alerts to the central control system.
Soleco’s use of RE technology is
“consistent with the policy direction of the national government to tap
renewables and increase its share in the energy mix,” NEA officer-in-charge
Sonia San Diego said.
“As an agency committed to the
protection of environment, NEA, together with its partner ECs, is pushing the
frontiers in RE project development to help position the Philippines as a world
leader in the use of renewables,” she said.
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