Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno with Danilo Esteban, chair of St. Martin Coop. (Photo from the Facebook page of the cooperative)
MANILA, Philippines — Shifting to solar energy can significantly bring down the cost of electricity for homes and businesses and soften the impact of what stakeholders call an impending energy crisis.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who chairs the board of GenWATT Energy Solutions, said as he warned of the impending depletion of natural gas as a source of energy in the country.
“We have a big shortage in our power supply, which will grow bigger when the natural gas in Malampaya runs out,” Puno said in Filipino during the ceremonial switching on of a 50-kilowatt solar-energy system at the St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Cooperative Building in Bocaue, Bulacan on Saturday, Aug. 6.
Serafin Celestino Jr., chief executive officer of St. Martin Cooperative, said shifting to solar energy would “significantly lessen the demand for coal-dependent energy and help generate cost-effective and reliable renewable energy.”
“And if only the energy companies and the government could make harnessing solar energy more affordable for everybody to eventually free them from the shackles of high energy cost, I believe that more people, more businesses will shift to solar energy,” he added.
Solar energy could also cut 35 percent of electricity costs, according to Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).
In the Philippines, renewable energy represents 29 percent of aggregate power supply capacity and 21 percent of electricity generation in 2020.
Solar energy accounts for 3.9 percent of aggregate power supply and 1.35 percent of electricity generation.
Wind power contributes 1.7 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively, according to the Department of Energy.
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