The Iloilo City Hall is now powered by solar technology, with 134 solar panels supplying at least one-third of its 200-kilowatt daily electricity needs.
Saving Money and the Planet
When the installation of the solar panels was completed in mid-January, City Mayor Jerry Treñas said that the city government stood to reduce its electricity expenses by as much as Php 96,000 per month.
Local authorities also looked forward to even more savings from net metering which capitalizes on surplus power generated, especially on weekends.
“This will be a significant help in terms of our energy consumption, and simultaneously, we’ll be implementing eco-friendly projects in the city,” James Macairang, an engineer from the City Engineer’s Office, said.
Going Greener and Greener
Iloilo is no stranger to harnessing renewable energy. Prior to city hall finishing the installation of its new solar panels, the city’s two dialysis centers, Esplanade, and the biggest national high school were already relying on solar energy to power their operations.
Last year, Iloilo City was one of only two provinces in the country to win the Energy Efficiency Excellence Award from the Department of Energy.
The city also entered into a tripartite agreement with the Energy Regulatory Commission and More Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) to promote the use of the Net Metering Program and Distributed Energy Resources.
More recently, the city government introduced incentives to local households that source at least 10% of their power from solar panels.