Aboitiz Upgrade Solar Inc (AUSI) and Alphaland Corp. teamed up to launch a new three-hectare, ground-mounted solar farm on Balesin Island in Quezon province.
The 4.1-megawatt peak (MWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system, paired with a 5.5 megawatt hour (MWh) battery energy storage, is in its testing phase and is expected to go live later this year. Once operational, it is projected to supply about 60 percent of Balesin’s total energy demand and save an estimated 1.6 million liters of diesel annually.
“Renewable energy is not only for cities or industrial zones; it has a place even in the most exclusive and remote destinations,” said AUSI director James Yu.
The project is a joint venture between Aboitiz Power Distributed Renewables Inc. and Upgrade Energy Philippines (UGEP).
Alphaland president Dennis Valdes said the partnership aligns with Balesin Island’s “Three-Pillar Innovation” initiative, which focuses on technological innovation, sustainable consumption, and community empowerment.
“We are the first and only Philippine resort awarded by the United Nations World Tourism Organization [UNWTO] for innovative tourism and sustainability,” Valdes said.
More than 500 employees, partners and volunteers from AUSI and Balesin Island participated in the 2025 International Coastal Cleanup Day, collecting about 6,000 kilograms of trash.
“Sustainability does not stop at the generation of renewable energy, it transcends to how we take concrete steps to care for our environment,” said UGEP president and chief executive Ruth Yu-Owen.
