(The Philippine Star) | Updated February 21, 2017 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines -
Solar Philippines will showcase the country’s first solar farm equipped with
batteries when it completes the first 50 megawatts (MW) of its largest solar
project in Tarlac by mid-2017, its top official said yesterday.
The company expects
batteries to become a game changer in the solar market this year.
“Tarlac Phase 1 of 50
MW will be completed by mid-2017 and the total 150 MW are targeted by end of
the year,” Solar Philippines president Leandro Leviste said in a text
message yesterday.
He said
solar-plus-storage projects are already cheaper than expensive diesel and
natural gas.
“Batteries will be the
game-changer of 2017. We aim to complete our first such project by mid-year to
show that the age of 24/7 solar is already here, and hopefully urge others to
pause before investing in expensive fossil fuels,” Leviste said.
Solar Philippines
announced yesterday it would integrate batteries into nearly all its upcoming
solar farms, to supply reliable 24/7 power starting this year.
It is in discussions
with battery suppliers including US-based automotive and energy storage firm
Tesla, which is doubling the world’s battery manufacturing capacity to
accelerate cost decreases, and will soon complete the world’s largest
solar-plus-storage project to supply evening power in Hawaii.
Leviste is teaming up
with Tesla for a pilot solar farm with battery storage.
Red tape remains a
barrier to solar-plus-storage, the company said.
The Confederation of
Solar Developers of the Philippines (CSDP) noted that around 600 signatures are
required for permits to develop a solar project resulting in a multi-year
process.
According to CSDP, this
has discouraged investments in renewable energy.
Another barrier is the
price of solar panels, which remains the largest cost item.
Solar Philippines,
however, said it would soon open the first locally-owned solar panel factory,
in line with its goal to construct and develop solar farms in-house, to lower
costs and bring greater competition into renewable energy.
“These are exciting
times in the power industry. Vertical integration is enabling us to make
solar-plus-storage cost-competitive years ahead of schedule, accelerate the
advent of sustainable energy, and make the Philippines a leader in solar energy
worldwide,” Leviste said.
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