The Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA) said over the weekend investors eagerly await the holding of the next auction for floating, rooftop and land-based solar, and further delays could affect funding and partner commitment.
“The one-year gap in the scheduled auction has already sent jitters to potential investors. Any further delay on the upcoming Green Energy Auction Program [GEAP] 4 will have a significant impact on the commitment of funders and partners,” the group said.
The additional installation resulting from the auction will increase the share of solar in the country’s energy mix, and fulfilling the government’s promise to hold yearly auctions will greatly improve the credibility of this administration in its commitment to transition goals, PSSEA said.
The Department of Energy has yet to release the terms of reference for the fourth round of the GEAP, where solar technologies, onshore wind, biomass, waste-to-energy and integrated renewable energy systems (IRESS) will be offered for private sector development.
“PSSEA applauds DOE for including integrated renewable energy with storage [IRES] as an auction item for 2025. This solution will provide a short-term solution and allow additional solar capacity into the grid. We urge DOE to remain steadfast in its commitment to renewables and introduce storage solutions to the 2025 auction schedule. There is so much to look forward to, and such opportunities can benefit the community in terms of employment, environment, and security,” the group said.
PSSEA said the conduct of GEAP 4 in 2025 brings with it significant challenges for the integration of solar energy into the electrical grid.
“In this context, the industry strongly urges the Department of Energy not to slide back and instead relentlessly pursue its net-zero emission goals by ensuring the implementation of the contracting round for solar in the first quarter of 2025,” it said.
PSSEA also challenged the DOE to address the degree of curtailment, which entails the reduction of output of a renewable resource from what it could have otherwise produced.
Curtailment applies to large-scale centralized PV power plants, and to distributed and dispersed generation residential rooftop solar PV systems, or wherever the electrical system operator can remotely shut down large-scale or rooftop solar PV when there is a risk of grid overload.
