Leyte Provincial Government invests about PHP70 Million to install solar power systems at the new provincial capital complex in Leyte within the next year.
Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla told reporters that the local government would soon be using an alternative energy source, which is sustainable and environmentally friendly, instead of fossil fuels.
The project will soon be put out to bid. The project will be up and running in 3 months after it is awarded. “It’s worth it since the payback is 7 years, and will last for twenty-five years”, Petilla said.
On both sides of the Provincial Government complex, which is designated as a parking area, solar panels will be installed.
The solar system will be able to provide 36,000 kilowatts, which is enough power for the capital building. The local government pays at least PHP1 million for its electricity bill each month.
Petilla hopes that this will inspire other local governments, businesses and households to install solar energy systems.
We want Leyte to be 20% independent of fossil fuel plants. He added that he wanted each home to have its own solar system, independent of the others.
Installing a solar energy system costs only PHP8 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is lower than the PHP14 kWh charged by electric cooperatives.
Petilla, the former energy secretary of the Philippines from 2012 to 2015, said, “In the past, it was more costly to own your solar power system, at PHP25 per KWH, compared to the cooperative’s PHP9 for each KWH.”
The rising costs of operating a fossil fuel-powered power plant are a major factor in the high price of electricity.
