By Ashley Manabat - August 9, 2019
CLARK FREEPORT—In two years
time, renewable energy (RE) will reach its tipping point because its cost
would have gone down significantly.
This was the forecast of Tito
Maglaqui, managing director of AlphaSolar, as he assessed the future of solar
power as a source of alternative energy in this free port.
Maglaqui, in a forum organized
by the Capampangan in Media Inc. (CAMI), in cooperation with the Clark
Development Corp. (CDC) at the Bale Balita here recently said, “as new
technology is evolving, batteries will be more commercially available and
affordable.”
He added that “when that time comes
and when solar panel prices are going down to a very affordable level, that
will be the tipping point.”
“Before it costs too much. But now
almost 80 percent of the cost from 2011 has been discounted. The price has nose
dive to 80 percent. Now it’s a matter of adaptation in technology,” he said.
Even ordinary households would want
solar power at that time, he said.
Maglaqui said solar power started
here in 2011. “It was very difficult to market solar power back then,” he
recalled.
Maglaqui said the 22-megawatt solar
farm in Panday Pira here was started under his tutelage as managing consultant.
“That started under my tutelage from
planning, to project finance and then to design and construction,” he said.
“But it only feeds solar power to the grid,” he added.
As of now, Maglaqui said, locator
firms here can save up to 38 percent in their power consumption with renewable
energy.
But he added the installation of
solar panels and batteries are still more than the expected cost in terms of
affordability.
Maglaqui said the average Filipino
household is about 1.5 kilowatt peak or 120 kilowatt hour or 500 kilowatt hour
monthly. AlphaSolar installs solar panel at a minimum of 300 kilowatt peak or
about 150 households, he explained.
That is why it is still costly to
install to an average household, he said.
But he added that AlphaSolar is now
testing its concept with Hausland Development Corp. and with the Solana group.
If the concept is successful that is
the good news, he said.
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