The Energy Department has included the 1.5-megawatt solar powered rooftop at the SM City North Edsa shopping mall in Quezon City as one of the new sources of power in the Luzon grid.
The solar power plant was included during the Philippine Electricity Market Update presentation under the list of new generation capacities for Luzon grid.
The solar plant, owned and operated by Solar Philippines Commercial Rooftop Projects Inc., is covered by a renewable energy service contract issued by the department.
The SM North Edsa solar powered rooftop, the largest solar powered rooftop in a commercial establishment in Southeast Asia, is composed of 5,760 solar panels.
It produces enough power to energize 1,000 households or 150,000 10-watt light bulbs or charge 214,285 cellular phones.
The power generated from the solar panels could offset 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide or the equivalent of planting 6,000 trees per year.
Energy assistant secretary Mario Marasigan said in a statement the inclusion of the solar power plant at SM North in the electricity market meant that the power it generates would contribute to the stabilization of the power supply in Luzon.
Marasigan said the power plant was also included under the feed-in-tariff system, a scheme that involves the obligations on the part of electric power industry participant to source electricity from renewable energy generation at a guaranteed fixed price applicable to a given period of time.
“Unlike other solar rooftop projects which are dedicated for self-use of the building, Solar Philippines’ SMNE solar power plant is the only commercial rooftop solar project within the heart of the Metro Manila that is connected to the Luzon grid, thus, contributing additional capacity to the power supply within Luzon areas,” Marasigan said.
The solar powered rooftop, located at the multi-level carpark building, was inaugurated by President Benigno Aquino, SM Prime President Hans Sy and Solar Philippines President Leandro Leviste in November 2014.
“It is part of SM Prime’s continuing commitment towards making its operations sustainable and environment friendly as the world prepares for the effects of climate change,” Sy said at that time.
