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ICSC partners with LGUs to solarize municipal buildings

Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities

TACLOBAN CITY, October 15, 2024—The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) signed memorandums of agreement (MOAs) with the local governments of Guiuan, Eastern Samar and Paranas, Samar for the installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for their respective municipal buildings earlier this month.

At the official MOA-signing event, ICSC Executive Director Angelo Kairos dela Cruz said that solarization projects aim to kickstart the uptake of renewable energy (RE) at the local level by driving the adoption of rooftop-mounted solar PV systems in municipal, commercial, industrial, and residential buildings. 

ICSC-GUIUAN MOA SIGNING SOLARIZE Photo Courtesy to ICSC

Dela Cruz signed MOAs with Guiuan Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan on at the ICSC regional office in Tacloban City on October 10, and Paranas Mayor Eunice Babalcon at the Paranas Municipal Hall on October 11. The solarization projects for their respective municipalities are set to be completed within the year. 

Once completed, the projects will increase local government units’ (LGU)’s energy independence and self-sufficiency amid frequent power interruptions and blackouts affecting the entire Samar Island. It also aims to reduce long-term power costs and increase savings for other LGU investments, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependency on fossil fuels.

The Solarize Guiuan project will install a hundred 600-watt bifacial solar panels with a total peak capacity of 60 kilowatts. The Solarize Paranas initiative, meanwhile, will install 88 units of 555-watt bifacial panels, with a total peak capacity of 48.84 kilowatts.

Guiuan Mayor Kwan noted that the municipality’s continued reliance on the unstable and expensive electricity coming from the grid has held the local economy back from taking off.

“Our town has been plagued by high energy costs and frequent power outages. The crisis has deterred investors and hampered fisheries production,” Kwan said. “We cannot take off; we remain poor because of problems in power.”

Kwan said the municipal government has been helpless in addressing the problem of power instability since even Congress could not resolve it despite the numerous Congressional inquiries in the past.

She said solarization of the municipal building will inspire other establishments – both private enterprises and government agencies with offices in Guiuan whose operations are hampered by the frequent power interruptions – to follow suit.

Meanwhile, Paranas Mayor Babalcon said that the solarization of Paranas started way back in 2019, with the installation of PV systems to power the municipal evacuation center and municipal materials recovery facility.

“The Solarize Paranas project will fortify our solarization [initiatives], especially our plans geared towards climate action, mitigation and adaptation. Paranas understands the importance of taking care of our environment,” she said. “This is one strong step towards realizing and contributing to the mitigation of climate impacts.”

Babalcon said Paranas LGU realized the importance of having RE, especially during calamities, when electricity from the grid is cut. “When you have solar power, you can continue to use your phones and have lights in the evacuation center which are critical during typhoons,” she said.

Partnership for Rooftop Solar Power Station Roadmap, Net Metering and Municipal Renewable Energy Ordinance

Under the MOA, the local governments of Guiuan and Paranas will operate and maintain their respective hybrid photovoltaic systems to be donated and installed by ICSC.

The agreement also mandates the LGUs to apply for Net Metering with their respective distribution utilities – the Samar Electric Cooperative II (SAMELCO II) for Paranas, and Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO) for Guiuan – to enable the LGUs to sell their surplus electricity, especially those generated during weekends when there are no operations at the municipal building.

If ESAMELCO approves the application, Guiuan stands to be the first member-consumer of the distribution utility to benefit from the Net Metering Law.

The LGUs are also mandated to craft a Rooftop-mounted Solar Power Station Roadmap that will identify the solar potential of public buildings in their municipalities, and pass a Municipal Renewable Energy Ordinance institutionalizing rooftop-mounted solar in their respective locales. In turn, ICSC will provide the LGUs with technical assistance in crafting and approving their roadmaps and ordinances.

ICSC will likewise promote RE technical education in the municipalities, in partnership with TESDA, academic institutions, and the private sector to train local RE technicians.

ABOUT

The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) is a Manila-based climate and energy policy group advancing climate resilience and low carbon development.

CONTACT

Sanaf Marcelo, ICSC: [email protected], +63 9688 886 3466, +63 917 149 5649

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Mindanao Daily News
Mindanao Daily Newshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK_sKdGFs0ewIh9R-iAskDg
Joel Calamba Escol is a journalist in the Philippines for more than 20 years. Currently, he is the Managing Editor of Mindanao Daily News, the biggest and most-widely read newspaper in Southern Philippines. He is also known as Noypi Vlogger in Youtube. You can follow him on the following social networking sites below.
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