DuPont unit expands to solar power venture

Science-based products and services company DuPont is diversifying into solar power solutions in the Philippines on top of its ventures in agriculture. Local unit DuPont Far East Inc. Philippines has launched its first solar rooftop project at the DuPont Pioneer corn seed production plant in Tarlac province to showcase the technology that was originally geared for farms and households.

Ramon S. Abadilla, Philippine country managing director of DuPont Far East Inc., said in an interview that the 131-kW, rooftop-installed solar power system in the company’s Tarlac facility was meant to showcase the thin-film solar cells of DuPont Apollo and , at the same time, cut electricity costs.

DuPont is promoting in Luzon and the Visayas solar power solutions such as solar water pumps for farms and rooftop installations for houses. Aside from the “own-use” approach, DuPont said its technology was also fit for net metering—a scheme where electricity consumers could export excess power to the grid and earn credits to lower their monthly electricity bills.

“Solar power is in its infancy in the Philippines but it has good potential,” Abadilla said.

The solar rooftop project launched recently is expected to generate 194,000kWh of electricity on the first year and offset carbon dioxide emissions, according to DuPont.

In the Philippines, DuPont is mainly engaged in the agriculture sector. Aside from the plant in Tarlac, DuPont operates a crop protection plant in Laguna, a production facility for hybrid corn seeds in South Cotabato  and R&D, training and sales offices.