Rooftop solar plant up in Laguna mall

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The largest rooftop solar power plant in the country is set to formally start commercial operations in Laguna province.

Solar Philippines, a Philippine company that finances solar rooftop installations without upfront fees, said in a statement that its 700-kilowatt Central Mall Biñan Solar Rooftop Project will be launched formally on Sept. 20.

The solar power system provider said Premiumlink Development Corp., the company operating Central Mall Biñan, tapped it to have the entire system designed, constructed and installed without any upfront cost.

Under a purchase power agreement, Solar Philippines earns from selling the energy generated by the solar power plant to the mall operator for the facility’s own consumption.

The trade is done at a rate lower than the usual electricity rates from distribution companies like the Manila Electric Company, Solar Philippines said.

“With the power plant on its roof augmenting 30 percent of City Mall Biñan’s total energy consumption, the mall’s management is able to save more than P100,000 monthly on electricity bills,” Solar Philippines said.

Spread over 700 square meters of sunlit roof space, the solar power plant on Central Mall Biñan is made up of 2,514 solar panels on steel mounting structures that can withstand wind speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour.

The energy generated by the panels is converted into electricity by 87 inverters, ready to be used by the Central Mall Biñan tenants, administration and mall goers.

“The Central Mall Biñan Solar Rooftop Project marks many firsts for renewable energy in the Philippines,” Solar Philippines said.

The company said the project is the first one of its kind that was granted a loan financing by one of the country’s biggest banks, the Bank of the Philippines Islands, or BPI.

The project is also the first to enjoy tax exemptions and tax credits, as Solar Philippines is the first solar solutions provider registered with the Board of Investments.