TAP RENEWABLE ENERGY TO AVERT POWER CRISIS - ANGARA

Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that the government should prioritize the swift development and implementation of renewable energy (RE) systems in order to avert a looming power crisis.

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it is seeking alternative sources to deal with projected power shortages in Luzon and Mindanao.

Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) said that the RE potential of the country remains largely untapped.

COMSTE reports show that recent studies by the Manila Observatory (MO) have indicated that Mindanao will be drier in the years to come lessening the effectiveness of RE sources like Hydropower, which supplies 70% of the power to the island.

Angara stated that the government should look into alternative ways to develop power sources, specifically through Public Private Partnerships (PPP's). He said that the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co., Inc. (Cepalco), which already has a 1MW solar plant in Cagayan de Oro, is looking to expand their existing capacity to 4MW in two years.

Angara also said that the growth of the local solar industry will benefit from the first solar testing facility of the Philippines opened recently at the First Philippine Industrial Park in Tanauan, Batangas.

The Facility will test and determine the best engineering options for solar Photovoltaic (PV) deployment in the Philippines. The facility will be testing state of the art arrays and electronics parts (inverters, battery systems, fuel cells, etc). Solar research would also involve collaboration with the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc. (SEIPI).

The test facility would ideally be a, "clearinghouse of engineering information on price, performance, reliability of state of the art Photovoltaic (PV) components," noted Angara.

Angara said that the solar testing facility marks the beginning of the Renewable Energy Research and Development Institute (RERDI), which is set to promote innovation and expand the Renewable Energy industry of the country.

According to the Department of Energy, the Philippines Energy Mix, solar, wind, and micro-hydro power accounts for less than 1% of the mix, which is dominated by imported oil at 34%.