Millennial’s ambitious solar panel factory set to start operations

Solar power solutions provider Solar Philippines is set to commence the operations of its 600-megawatt solar panel factory at First Philippine Industrial Park in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, marking the first time that a local company will manufacture solar panels for the local and overseas markets.

Solar Philippines, led by 23-year-old Leandro Leviste, is also set to announce a partnership with one of the world’s leading solar manufacturers to produce panels using low-cost technology, the company said in a press statement on Saturday.

The opening of the new factory will be in time for the company’s 2017 projects, including a 50-MW plant in Batangas and in Cavite that will supply Manila Electric Co. and another 150-MW in Tarlac.

“Vertical integration is the key to making solar cost-competitive, as in other countries, where solar is already cheaper than coal and especially natural gas. Once we establish this, and demonstrate that solar with batteries can provide reliable 24/7 power, we estimate that the Philippines will be able to save P50 to P100 billion per year,” said Leviste, Solar Philippines president.

The firm is also planning to begin this year exporting solar panels and developing projects overseas. After completing the first phase of the Batangas factory, it will also work on expanding its manufacturing capacity to 2 gigawatts, which would easily make the Philippines the leader for solar energy in Southeast Asia.

A son of senator and environmental advocate Loren Legarda, Leviste shares the vision of SolarCity and Tesla Motors founder Elon Musk who believes in a future where solar energy will replace the power mix we know today. He founded Solar Philippines in 2013, initially running the new enterprise from his bedroom and has since then assembled a team of veterans from the solar, construction, manufacturing and power industries. —DORIS DUMLAO-ABADILLA