Friday, June 5, 2020

Solar industry seeks digital shift in stimulus package


June 5, 2020 | 12:01 am

LEADERS of the Philippine Solar and Storage Alliance (PSSEA) have appealed to lawmakers for a stimulus package that covers what they call the greening and digitization of the energy infrastructure.
In a letter to Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, the group cited the problem faced by electricity consumers arising from their use of an old metering system. The lawmaker chairs the Senate’s energy committee.
Ma. Theresa C. Capellan, who chairs PSSEA, said “the inefficiencies of our present meters, particularly in reading [kilowatt-hour] consumption, in billing customers, and collecting payments are not where we want to be in the future.”
“These experiences could have been avoided if we had smart meters allowing customers to procure electricity online and real-time. Such technology would have avoided billing disputes and also protect utility workers who would have to read meters,” she said, citing the issues that arose during the coronavirus pandemic.
The alliance is advocating the need for investments in energy infrastructure as the country moves to recover from the effects of the medical crisis. It said the industry considers the present circumstances as an opportunity to encourage a new way of thinking about electric power delivery.

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