QC mulls use of solar panels on public buildings

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MANILA — The Quezon City government is set to convert public school and government office buildings into solar panel–friendly infrastructures to save in allocations for electric bills.

Mayor Herbert Bautista has directed QC Division of City Schools and Task Force Streetlights to study the installation of solar panels on the roofing of public schools and government office buildings.

Bautista said that aside from lowering the cost of electricity supplied by the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), the plan will generate revenue by selling, through metering, excess power generated by the solar panels.

He said that Meralco could buy some of the solar power at Php5.00 per kilowatt or more.

The city government, the mayor said, will shoulder the big investment for the installation of solar panel on the city’s public school and government buildings. However, the move has a long-term benefit because it could be a source of revenue to the city government, he added.

The mayor said that Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, who has been consulted on the plan, is willing to give support in terms of technical know-how and other aspects on proper installation of solar panels.

SM North Edsa, which has now a generating capacity of 1.5 megawatts from solar panels it installed on its multi-level car park rooftop, is saving at least 5 percent of the mall’s average electric consumption per day, equivalent to Php2 million, the mayor said.

“QC can do the same by converting into solar power system the city’s public schools and government office buildings as soon as possible,” he added.

The move, Mayor Bautista said, is also the city’s continuing support to environment protection. particularly with regard to climate change. The city, he added, adheres to the government call to action on environment problem, thus shifting to renewable energy (RE) is one way of doing so.