Imperial Homes launches solar net-metered community

PROPERTY developer Imperial Homes Corp. has launched on Thursday a residential village in Cavite province that will have its own solar power source and the capability to sell its excess energy to the electricity grid.

Emma M. Imperial, chairperson and chief executive officer of Imperial Homes, said the project integrates modern and efficient technologies into property development.

“The net-metering system is another proof that real estate and renewable energy and green resilient building materials are potent partners in addressing the concerns of poverty alleviation, climate change and housing backlogs,” she said during the on-site event, which was also shown online.

The community is the 50,000-square-meter Via Verde Trece Martires development, which is targeted for completion in 2025. It is envisioned to serve as a model for affordable, resilient and sustainable projects in Cavite.

Imperial Homes, which is known for its middle-income and low-cost housing projects, said the electric metering arrangement is a move that contributes to a more stable grid in Luzon.

Under the rules of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), net-metering allows solar owners with less than 100-kilowatt-peak (kWp) capacity to export their excess electricity to the grid in exchange for electricity bill credits.

ERC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Agnes VST Devanadera, who attended the event, called the project as a “significant landmark.”

“The energy industry, as we know it, has totally changed with the net-metering program. From the one-way flow of electricity, to a two-way flow of electricity. It empowers consumers to become ‘prosumers,’ with the ability to generate their own electricity for their own consumption, and as well as export any excess generation to the distribution grid,” Ms. Devanadera said.

She said that during the initial implementation of the net-metering rules, participants were “heavily skewed towards industrial and commercial businesses who can afford to install solar panels in their rooftops.”

“Taking advantage of the significant reduction in the cost of panels in the world market, the ERC timely included in the amended net-metering rules the simplified procedures for community housing developments’ participation, thereby allowing residential customers to access the program,” she added.

On its website, Imperial Homes describes itself as “one of the country’s strong proponents of environment-friendly leisure development.”

It said among its latest ventures is Asia Leisure Escapes, which aims to develop and market villas for sale or rent not only in the Philippines but also in the rest of Asia.

Its previous launches include Porta Verde in Caliraya, Laguna; Porta Azure in Legazpi City, Albay; and Lakeside Farm in San Pablo, Laguna. It said other properties for development are located in Palawan, Quezon, Albay and Laguna. — VVS