SM Supermalls of SM Prime Holdings Inc. has unveiled the company’s largest self-used rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system to date at SM City in Santa Rosa, Laguna, installed across over two hectares of the mall’s building.
The milestone of scaling the company’s efforts towards energy efficiency reaffirmed SM Prime’s commitment toward building for a sustainable future as it progresses towards its net-zero ambition by 2040.
The solar PV system at SM City Santa Rosa, which has recently received the certificate of compliance (COC) from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), is composed of 5,772 panels at 3.088 MWp capacity.
It has an annual solar energy production of up to 4.292GWh. The installation of the solar PV system at SM City Santa Rosa will power 15 percent of the mall’s energy consumption needs.
SM Supermalls first started installing solar PV systems in 2014 at SM City North EDSA—the first mall in the Philippines to harness solar energy. In 2016, the solar power facility in SM Mall of Asia with twice the capacity of SM North EDSA was installed.
Harnessing solar energy as a clean and renewable source of energy, SM Supermalls has reduced reliance on the power grid, which is helpful during times when rising electricity demand is caused by increased temperatures.
SM Supermalls is also part of the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) of the Department of Energy that provides 110 megawatts of power for communities across the Philippines. Its 56 malls use their own generator sets instead of relying on the power grid, which has proven helpful when there are local power interruptions and supply needs to be rationed.
SM has the largest contribution among the private sector with SM Mall of Asia providing the highest committed capacity at 15.92MW for the program.
All 85 malls of SM Supermalls are energy efficient. Every mall maximizes natural lighting, through skylights and windows, and all malls have used LED lighting since 2018, ensuring energy efficiency.
“SM Supermalls is committed towards contributing to build a sustainable future. We have made significant strides in clean energy regeneration, as well as water conservation and recycling, and solid waste management,” said SM Supermalls president Steven Tan.
“With the continuous support of our partners and the communities where we operate, we believe we can truly reach our science-based goals towards Net Zero by 2040,” he said.