Industry group touts rooftop solar as quick solution to power shortage

SOLAR PANELS on household and commercial establishment rooftops are a viable means of addressing the power crisis, the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA) said on Thursday. 

“Lacking supply of power means that any unplanned outages in the power system will likely result in brownouts and reduction of electricity service,” the PSSEA said in a statement. 

The group cited a government estimate that a 5% penetration rate for solar on household rooftops is equivalent to 673 megawatts, achievable within 12 months.

It also promoted solar as a key component of the transition to clean energy transition.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines placed the Luzon grid on yellow and red alert on Monday due to the forced shutdown of several power plants. 

PSSEA called increased solar rooftop installation a form of “relief to the grid and… an immediate solution compared to the development of utility-scale solar which takes three years to deploy,” PSSEA said.

To accelerate solar rooftop deployment, PSSEA proposed the removal of the 100-kilowatt cap for net-metering; a simplified application process for incentives; standardized protocols for permit issuance; and access to financing. — Ashley Erika O. Jose