RENEWABLE ENRGY

I. The Philippines’ renewable energy sector is booming (and it could get bigger)

Connie Tan Hui Ann

Tuesday, 9 Aug 2016 | 10:11 PM ETCNBC.com
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/09/thephilippinesrenewableenergysectorisboominganditcou
ldget-bigger.html

The Philippines's transformation into an unlikely regional powerhouse in renewable energy

hasn't been easy.

Juan Miguel Zubiri, a Philippine senator who authored the Renewable Energy Act of 2008,
laughingly describes how the Bureau of Internal Revenue wanted to pick a fight with him when
the Act was passed because of its generous incentives.

These included an income tax holiday for the first seven-years of commercial operations, low
corporate tax of 10 percent for the subsequent 25 years, duty-free import of machinery and zero
value added tax (VAT).

"So I said "you know what, it will come back to the economy anyway"," Zubiri says.

"I'm very proud to say that since we passed the law in 2008, from what used to be just 22
renewable energy projects, we now have 406 projects, either already built or being constructed,"
he says.

Solar panels at the roof deck of a mall in Manila.

"In the last four years, we produced about 3 million jobs for engineers, construction workers all
over the country. It's a booming industry."

Long reliant on fossil fuels, The Philippines now meets over a third of its energy needs through
renewable sources.

The frenetic growth has attracted the attention of investors including David Russell, the chief
executive officer of Equis, Asia's largest independent infrastructure fund manager. The company
has commissioned the largest solar farm in Southeast Asia in Cadiz City.

"In the Philippines we've seen over last couple of years, over 1100 megawatts of renewable
energy, just in the wind and solar space installed. That's about two billion dollars just flying into
what was an industry that didn't exist till three years ago," Russell says.

"What we're seeing going forward is, over the next ten years, and expectation that that market
will grow by about 20 times," he adds.

Still, the growing push towards cleaner energy hasn't been come without detractors.
Some complain that the country's feed-in tariff, offered as an incentive for developers of clean
energy projects, actually made electricity in the archipelago more expensive.

"We have been subsidizing renewable energy," says George Chua, President of the Federation of
Philippine Industries. Chua says as rates for clean energy projects are locked in for 20 years,
users in the country won't be able to enjoy the fall in prices, even if renewable energy technology
gets cheaper.

"We're not against renewable energy, but why do we need to go into technologies that are not
fully developed? We could wait a few more years when they become commercially viable,"
Chua says.

A windmill located in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

However, 23-year old Leandro Leviste, founder of Solar Philippines is convinced that renewable
energy, particularly solar, can be an affordable source of energy for the Philippines today, even
without subsidies.

"The cost of electricity in the Philippines is twice the cost as it is other countries, while the cost
of a solar panel is the same cost here as it is in other countries. You take the solar panel costs in
other countries, put them here, and solar is just significantly cheaper than even coal," Leviste
says.

"I think that it's just obvious, that solar is in fact going to disrupt the entire power industry in
Philippines, which is the most expensive and inefficient in Asia," he says.

Leviste's company already has a solar farm in Batangas province, and wants to prove solar
energy's viability by building a new 150 megawatt solar farm in the north of Manila, by the first
quarter of next year.

"The solar farm will have batteries, to smoothen the output of intermittent renewable energy
plants, and it will be cheaper than coal. Our claim is that, rather than strapping our country's
energy supplies to 20 more years of dirty fossil fuel, we have a cleaner alternative," he said

Zubiri, who recently returned to the Philippine senate after his resignation in 2011, wants to
continue to push his green agenda in his next six years in office.

"After a few years of its actual implementation, we see a lot of bottlenecks for the developers
and the consumers. There are agencies with overlapping functions, so coming back as a senator,
I'm going to look at the amendments to the law, or to the rules and regulations, because there's
still a lot of tweaking that can be done," he says.
 II. AC Energy eyes another renewable energy investment

Rappler.com
Published 5:00 PM, January 19, 2017

Updated 5:00 PM, January 19, 2017

http://www.rappler.com/business/158870-ac-energy-renewable-investment-philippines

'We are building up our RE platform so we're looking for acquisitions in the Philippines,' says
AC Energy president John Eric Francia .

RENEWABLE ENERGY. NorthWind Power in Ilocos Norte is a joint venture between AC

Energy and NorthWind founders Niels Jacobsen, Ferdinand Dumlao, and Jose Ildebrando
Ambrosio. Screenshot from AC Energy website

MANILA, Philippines – AC Energy Holdings Incorporated is expected to seal another

investment deal involving renewable energy (RE) soon.

The power arm of Ayala Corporation is currently working on another acquisition which would
be finalized in the next few weeks, according to AC Energy president John Eric Francia.

"We are in the middle of discussions. We can't disclose it because it's not final yet, but we're in
the midst of a final transaction," he said on the sidelines of an event in Makati City on
Wednesday, January 18.

"We are building up our RE platform so we're looking for acquisitions in the Philippines."

Francia added that the company is still on the lookout for other potential acquisitions.

"It's not hydro, but basically we're looking to further scale in renewables. We're getting traction
in Indonesia, but we'd like to scale up more in the Philippines so we're going to do more RE
development here in the Philippines," he said.

Last week, AC Energy signed investment agreements with UPC Renewables Indonesia Limited
for the development, construction, and operation of a wind farm project in Sidrap, South
Sulawesi, Indonesia that will cost $150 million. (READ: Ayala to build, operate $150-M
Indonesia wind farm)

The project will be developed through PT UPC Sidrap Bayu Energi, a special purpose company
based in Indonesia.

It is the first green field offshore investment of AC Energy through its affiliate AC Energy
International Holdings Private Limited, a Singapore private limited company.
The Sidrap Project will be funded through equity and project financing to be provided by the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the US government's development finance institution,
and PT Bank Sumitomo Mitsui Indonesia, the Indonesian subsidiary of the Sumitomo Mitsui
Banking Corporation of Japan.

UPC Renewables and AC Energy Holdings are two of the owners of North Luzon Renewable
Energy Corporation, the owner and operator of the 81MW Caparispisan wind farm project in
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

"We are still active. We're not stopping. We're still on active lookout for potential acquisition,"
Francia said.

The two latest acquisitions are major milestones for AC Energy, as these scale up its RE
platform and establish its presence in Indonesia. – Rappler.com

III. WWF: Renewable energy is the best solution to power crisis

Rappler.com
Published 9:30 AM, October 04, 2014

Updated 9:30 AM, October 04, 2014

http://www.wwf.org.ph/wwf-renewable-energy-best-solution-to-power-crisis

The World Wide Fund for Nature reiterates its call for the Philippine government to focus on
renewable energy solutions as a long-term strategy in power supply.

IT'S MORE SUN IN THE PHILIPPINES. As the world’s second-largest archipelago, it is

difficult to connect all islands to the grid through power transmission and distribution lines.
Installing solar panels will make many small islands energy self-sufficient. =

MANILA, Philippines – Renewable energy must be integrated as the primary solution to the
power development plan of the Philippines, the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature said.

The Philippines can actually learn from its own experience in renewable energy to prove that it is
the best solution to the country’s power needs, the WWF pointed out, citing how the country
invested heavily in hydro and geothermal energy in the 1970s which now produce 13.67% and
14.4% of electricity, respectively.

“Many renewable systems can be installed quickly. They produce electricity at a stable rate.
They are de-coupled from foreign supply. They are also insulated from price increases dictated
by international markets,” the WWF said of the benefits of renewable energy.
The Department of Energy's predicted shortfall in power supply will mostly affect intermediate
and peak loads. Thus, intermediate or peak power plants are required to address coming needs,
the WWF pointed out.

Peak demand periods for highly industrialized grids such as the Luzon grid usually stretch from
10 am to 2 pm, when demand for electricity is at its highest but the optimal operating hours for
certain renewable energy options like solar energy correspond precisely with these periods of
high demand, WWF said.

Other indigenous renewable energy options like hydro and biomass can be used to complement
existing base-load and intermediate power plants, WWF suggested.

Renewable energy is affordable

The imbalanced reliance on foreign fossil-fuels makes doing business in the Philippines very
risky, WWF-Philippines vice chair and CEO Jose Ma Lorenzo Tan said.

“Fossil-fuels are a finite and dwindling resource. Their emissions also exacerbate climate
change, a needless aggravation. Do we really want to compete with larger countries like China
and India for fossil-fuel resources on the world market? No, especially when we have abundant
and readily available renewable energy sources whose costs will remain stable, and well within
our control,” Tan said in a statement.

WWF also pointed out that under the government’s feed-in tariff (FiT) system, renewable energy
can provide a stable source of electricity at a constant price for years to come.

Under FiT, renewable energy projects are guaranteed a rate for the electricity they produce per
kilowatt hour (kWh) that will be held constant for the next 20 years, with the Energy Regulatory
Commission doing periodic reviews to adjust the rate for foreign exchange and inflation.

“In contrast, not a single fossil-fuel dependent power project is ready to hold their prices for 10
years, not to mention that the cost of bunker and diesel-fired plants are even higher than solar
and wind power FiT rates,” the WWF said.

The average cost of power generated by diesel power plants starts at P12 ($0.27) per kWh,
making the cost of this electricity extremely expensive, it added.

The price for electricity from renewable energy can only ever go down – and will never increase,
the WWF stressed. In contrast, the International Energy Agency forecasts a steady increase in the
cost of coal and other fossil-fuels over the next decade, thus increasing the cost of living and
doing business.

The WWF cited the recent pronouncement of Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla who said,
“The FiT is a testament that while renewable energy seems to be more expensive than traditional
energy sources, admittedly it is needed because it is essential to the country’s energy security."
Solar and wind energy as long-term solution

The Giants of Ilocos Norte. Shown are the famed windmills of Bangui in Ilocos Norte, which
provides clean and unlimited power for 40% of the province. Renewable energy sources are
perfect for developing nations. Photo by Gregg Yan / WWF

With less than a year until the anticipated summer power crisis in 2015, the WWF stressed the
need to view renewable energy as the primary long-term solution, noting the power plants
running on solar and wind energy are the fastest that can be deployed to meet this specific type
of electricity demand.

The construction and operation of solar power plants take only 6 months. Angela Ibay, WWF-
Philippines climate change and energy program director, said these types of power plants will
produce electricity at a constant rate that will not fluctuate, unlike fossil-fuels which are affected
by the foreign exchange rate.

Based on the provisions of the Renewable Energy Law of 2008, renewable energy plants will
only receive payment for actual electricity generated, thus eliminating the costly provisions of
the past take-or-pay contracts that add stranded costs to the consumer’s electricity bill, regardless
of whether that electricity was used or not.

“In most cases, the cost of fossil fuels is directly passed onto the consumer,” Ibay said.

Contributing to the solution

The WWF said in a statement that it is currently working with the DOE on bottom-up, localized
energy planning for the different provinces of the Philippines, starting with Palawan, as part of
its Seize Your Power campaign.

“The country needs to stop focusing on renewable energy as simply a generation issue. It is
actually a system operation issue. If the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow, you can plan
ahead and take that into account,” said Christopher Ng, WWF-Philippines climate change and
energy program communicator.

“A proper energy plan just needs to be in place,” added Ng, who is working on the Seize Your
Power campaign in Palawan.

And if President Benigno Aquino is granted additional powers to address the power crisis,
renewable energy must be seen as part of the solution, the WWF said.

“In the long-term, we hope to develop systems in order for renewable energy to competes toe-to-
toe with traditional energy resources and eventually lower the cost of electricity.” –
Rappler.com
IV. The Philippines pursues renewable energy expansion
3 April 2017

http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/the_philippines_pursues_renewable_energy
_expansion

Construction has begun on the Philippines’ largest solar power project, with further interest
being stimulated by foreign companies.

Solar Philippines has recently begun work on the 150 megawatts (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV)
project in Concepcion, Tarlac.

450,000 solar panels will be installed across 150 hectares, making the project one of south-east
Asia’s largest solar farms.

The panels will be manufactured locally in addition to using batteries to supply 24-hour
electricity.

The project will cost an estimated $195 million, and produce enough power to fulfil the entire
province’s needs.

Leandro Leviste, President and Chief Executive of Solar Philippines, said that this will be the
first solar power project in Philippines which will be built at a cost lower than that of a coal-
based power plant.

The Concepcion solar power project will initially sell electricity in the open market while
continuing to negotiate with utilities for a long-term power purchase agreement.

Over the last few months several project developers have expressed interest in developing large-
scale solar power project in Philippines, including a Chinese company.

The Chinese firm’s proposed 200 MW project will be constructed in the Samar province and
aims to boost energy self-sufficiency in the area and reduce the cost of electricity.

Last month, the Philippines Senate voted unanimously to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate
change, four months earlier than previously expected.

Under the agreement the Philippines has committed to cut carbon emissions by 70 per cent by
2030.

According to a new report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA),
renewable energy sector policy making and institutional evolution can support maintaining
Philippines’ development momentum and allow it to achieve energy independence.

Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of IRENA, said: “Like many countries in its region, the
Philippines face a growing population and rising energy demand to power economic growth.
Uniquely, the archipelago is also frequently exposed to tropical storms and natural disasters that
affect its energy structure. Renewable energy can play a role in helping the country achieve
greater energy security and distribution despite these challenges.”

He went on to say; “The Philippines’ more than seven thousand islands hold great renewable
energy potential that includes solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy, and geothermal resources. Utilizing
these resources, and guided with the support of IRENA, the country is in a strong position to
reap the socioeconomic benefits of renewables and grow the Philippines economy.”

The report puts forward options to strengthen the Philippines’ renewable energy policy,
regulatory and institutional framework; and includes an assessment of the country’s grid
infrastructure and examines the institutional capacity in the Philippine renewable energy sector,
along with the potential for electrification through renewable-based mini- and micro-grid
solutions.

Alfonso G. Cusi, the Philippines’ Secretary of Energy, said: “The Philippines has been exploring
a variety of options to build an energy independent future supplied by sustainable, stable, secure,
sufficient, accessible and reasonably-priced energy sources. In pursuit of this ultimate goal, the
Philippines have stepped up its efforts in promoting the deployment of indigenous renewables
energy over the past few years”.

The Philippines has set the ambitious renewable energy target of 15.3 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 –
almost triple the 5,438 MW installed capacity in 2010

SOLAR ENERGY

I. Experts cite potential of solar energy development in Philippines

Danessa O. Rivera (The Philippine Star) | Updated July 17, 2015 - 12:00am

http://www.philstar.com/business/2015/07/17/1477731/experts-cite-potential-solar-energy-
development-philippines

The Philippines is more than ready to join the solar revolution as it is nestled in the tropical zone,
Schneider Electric senior vice president for solar business Serge Goldenberg said in his keynote
speech at the Philippine Solar Summit held in Pasay City.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has strong potential in harnessing solar energy, both for
consumer use and power production, given the continued drop in prices and further innovation in
the field, officials said in a forum Wednesday.

The country is more than ready to join the solar revolution as it is nestled in the tropical zone,
Schneider Electric senior vice president for solar business Serge Goldenberg said in his keynote
speech at the Philippine Solar Summit held in Pasay City.
“The archipelagic geology of the Philippines poses unique challenges in distributing energy
produced from solar plants, but aside from that, adapting a solar energy system for the country is
not far-fetched,” Goldenberg said.

However, the Philippines needs to ensure proper infrastructure, maintenance and connected
technologies to make it work.

“We believe that with the right energy management technology, a solar power system built and
developed in the Philippines has the potential to become a basis for other island nations who
wish to adopt the same system,” Goldenberg noted.

The private sector should also start to look more into developing renewable energy (RE)
projects, Island Light & Water Foundation (ILAW) micro grid and off-grid micro-utility
manager John Herman said in the same event.

“Developers should think about the opportunities out there as the Philippines integrate RE
development in regulations,” he said.

The country implemented the feed-in tariff scheme in 2012, which provides incentives to
developers of RE.

Meanwhile, AES Philippines market business leader Neeraj Bhat bats for more investments in
the solar field through the development of battery energy storage which will integrate RE
projects into the grid.

“The Philippines must be innovative on creating a market for ancillary service,” he said.

Neeraj lauded a recent Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) circular, which classified battery
energy storage as a new source of ancillary services or reserve power.

Under the circular, the ERC adopted the Grid Management Committee’s recommendations
classifying the so-called battery energy storage system (BESS) as a new source of frequency
control ancillary services, particularly contingency reserve and secondary reserve.

AES Philippines, the local unit of US energy giant AES Corp., is currently developing the first
40-megawatt (MW) battery storage facility in Negros Occidental. It is also offering its energy
storage batteries as a possible long-term solution to the power situation in the country.

From a consumer point of view, Goldenberg said global prices of solar photovoltaic (PV) or
panels have dropped 52 percent from 2008 to 2015.

Along with this trend, a study by the International Energy Agency showed solar could outpace
fossil fuels, wind, hydro and nuclear to become the world’s largest source of electricity by 2050.

“This is an unprecedented trend. We have never seen such a fast drop in prices,” Goldenberg
said.
 II. The sun is setting on coal

Sara Jane Ahmed

Published 9:56 PM, June 05, 2017

Updated 9:56 PM, June 05, 2017

http://www.rappler.com/views/imho/172064-sun-setting-coal

'For the Philippines, we have an opportunity today to reduce our reliance on foreign coal and to
ride the investment boom in clean energy'

"Coal is dead,” said Jim Barry

, the global head of BlackRock's infrastructure investment group, in a recent interview with
Australia’s Financial Review, joining a long line of major global players refusing to touch long-
life coal assets.

“That's not to say all the coal plants are going to shut tomorrow,” continued Barry, “but anyone
who's looking to take beyond a ten-year view on coal is gambling very significantly."

As the world's largest investment group with $US5 trillion of assets under management,
BlackRock’s public stance will reverberate around the world, not least in the Philippines.

That’s because, as of March 2017, the Philippines had 3,945 megawatts (MW) of coal committed
up to 2020 and 10,423 MW of coal projects initiated up to 2025.

The Philippine purchase power agreements (PPAs) on coal fired power plants is 20 years. This is
well beyond the 10-year view international investors are warning against.

Because the country produces only low-quality coal – which must be burned in larger amounts
than higher-quality coal – and because the coal-fired power plants are built for imported coal, the
Philippines rely on importing coal from abroad.

The Philippines imported a total of 20.79 million tons of coal in 2016, a year-on-year rise of
47.8%, with 70% coming from Indonesia, followed by Australia. Demand for imported coal may
rise by two million tons per year until 2020.

In 2016, that meant we spent more than more than $1 billion (PHP 50 billion) on importing coal.

This will be propelled by the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement signed in
February 2009, in which the Philippines' import levy on Australian coal was mandated to
decrease to 5% in 2012 from 7%, and is set to fall to zero by 2018.
The simple and unfortunate reality is that with new coal fired power plants such as the 1,200
MW coal-fired power plant promoted by Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen) being
planned, the Philippines will be further reliant on yet more imports.

An important question both government and the private sector need to answer is can a new
thermal coal plant being built now or in the next few years, and which would be dispatched in 10
to 15 years’ time, compete with new cheap solar and batteries?

For BlackRock, the answer is no.

The previous mentality around renewable energy, that it was expensive and "all about subsidies,"
has now been "turned on its head" as prices, particularly in solar energy, had fallen, Barry said.

"The thing that has changed fundamentally the whole picture,” he explained, “is that renewables
have gotten so cheap.”

Just take the example of India, where the government has pledged to end expansive coal imports.
India is on track to construct a remarkable 275 GW of renewable energy by 2027. This month,
costs for solar hit another record low, dropping a remarkable 45% since January 2016 when
India’s last solar record low was set.

In the past few weeks alone, multiple major new coal plant proposals in India have been shelved
for the simple reason they can no longer compete on price.

While the price of renewables continues to plummet, the cost of coal finance will increase.

However, the Philippines is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to acknowledging
risk in the cost of capital. Whilst finance for coal plants may be available at an artificially low
cost today, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) and
must realize that least cost is not a static concept.

In the world of finance, contrary to popular belief, the tipping point is not when solar and
batteries are cheaper than coal, it is when investors see the writing on the wall.

That time is now.

For the Philippines, we have an opportunity today to reduce our reliance on foreign coal, and to
ride the investment boom in clean energy.

While the death of coal may not happen overnight, the sun is setting fast and we do not want to
be left in the dark. – Rappler.com
III. How solar panels helped Iloilo fishermen recover from Yolanda

David Lozada
@iamdavidlozada

Published 2:00 PM, August 20, 2016

Updated 8:01 PM, August 24, 2016

http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/143583-solar-panels-iloilo-fishermen-
yolanda

'The money they used to buy kerosene before is now used to buy rice and food. They don’t have
to go far either to charge their equipment.'

GO SOLAR. Solar panels are placed outside the charging station in Barangay Bancal in Carles.
The charging station's design can withstand extreme weather conditions. Photo by David Lozada

ILOILO, Philippines – Three years after his family experienced the wrath of Super Typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan), Rommel Marcelino still finds it difficult to describe the tragedy.

“The experience scarred my family. It’s still hard to find the right words. My 6 kids were
traumatized,” he said.

The 41-year-old fisherman lives in Barangay Barosbos in Carles, the northern-most town of
Iloilo province, and one of the areas hardest hit in November 2013.

“Our house was made of light materials, so we decided to stay in our neighbor’s house when the
storm hit. We had to hide in the bathroom because it was the only concrete part of the house. It
was a really difficult situation,” Marcelino recalled.

The typhoon not only took away their home but also their livelihood. In the aftermath of the
typhoon, Marcelino and his fellow fisher folks found that their marine protected areas were
destroyed.

In Barangay Barosbos alone, more than 700 houses and 75 fishing boats were damaged by the
storm surge. In nearby Barangay Bancal, more than 1,600 houses were destroyed.

The months that followed were not easier for fisherfolk. Aside from having to rebuild their
homes and boats, those in Barosbos had done so with no electricity.

“It took 3 months before electricity was restored in our area,” Marcelino, who is president of
their association, recalled.
Thankfully, though, they did not need to look far for their solution to their energy problems.

‘Brighter world’

The BBMA, their organization, was one of the beneficiaries of solar panels that were distributed
by the Iloilo Caucus of Development NGO Networks (Iloilo Code) and Christian Aid as part of
the “Relief and Early Recovery” effort.

“After the dialogue we conducted with different fisher folk organizations in different barangays,
we came up with this project. They were complaining about the high costs of electricity,
especially after Yolanda. It made it difficult for them to financially recover,” Rosana Pandes,
Iloilo Code community organizer, said.

She added, “We provided support for the fisher folk of the different villages of Carles by giving
them solar charging stations.”

SUCCESS INDICATOR. Rosana Pandes of Iloilo CODE NGO says the project was a response
to the needs of the fisher folks.

Each solar charging station is built using a design that can withstand harsher weather conditions.
It also houses 3 to 4 solar panels that can charge up to 4 automotive batteries a day, and power
lights and small appliances.

But giving help wasn’t easy, Pandes admitted. Some fishermen and barangay officials were
initially opposed to the project because it competed with existing power businesses in the towns.

“We had to convince them that it was an opportunity for small fisher folk to lessen their costs in
charging their batteries. In case of blackouts, these charging stations will prove useful. Plus, the
light it provides at night serves as a lighthouse of sorts for the fishermen – to guide them safely
back to shore,” Pandes said.

Help on income

In nearby Barangay Bancal in Carles, Agapito Dumaguin man’s his organization’s solar charging
station. The president of the Bancal Fishermen’s Association (BFA), Dumaguin said the
charging station helps them save on costs they can use for the children’s education.

“I am able to save P500 every week…. Plus, we no longer have to worry when we’re hit with
blackouts because we can charge our batteries and phones. We no longer have power problems
since this station was built,” the 56-year-old said.

The solar stations like the one in Barosbos and Bancal were left to fisher folk organizations to
manage. According to Dumaguin, they only ask P15 for charging so they have funds to use in
case the solar panels get damaged.
“Even those initially opposed to the idea are now charging here. We accept them, even those
who aren’t part of our organization, because this was given for everyone’s use. Many people
charge here now,” Dumaguin said.

He added: “We’re really thankful for this project because it helps us small fishermen with our
expenses. We don’t have to go to the town proper to charge our batteries and buy ice for the fish.
We save a lot of our resources.”

RENEWABLE ENERGY. Fisher folk in Carles town save a lot of money by charging their
batteries and equipment in the solar charging stations.

Marcelino echoed Dumaguin's sentiments, adding that the solar charging stations also help their
organization’s income.

“We only ask for small donations because our source of power is free. Every donation is logged
in in our records – cash in and cash out – for easier auditing. We use it to maintain our solar
panels and other operational expenses,” Marcelino said.

While the solar charging station was intended mainly to charge batteries for the use of patrol
boats that guard the marine protected area, it also became useful for the household. “Our kids
also benefit from this because it provided lighting at home which makes it easier for them to
study at night,” added Marcelino.

‘Community-driven, sustainable’

“The money they used to buy kerosene before is now used to buy rice and food. They don’t have
to go far either to charge their equipment,” Pandes said on the impact of the project.

She said the project was successful because it answered a direct need of the communities.

“The communities themselves demanded and asked for this. It’s a community-driven project so
they really take good care of the facilities given. Unlike other post-Yolanda projects, this wasn’t
imposed on them,” Pandes said.

While the solar charging stations are already working in their partner barangays, Pandes said the
long-term use and impact of the project now rests in the communities.

“I hope our partners will sustain and maintain the projects so that, even when we’re gone, the
facilities will still serve its purpose. We don’t want it to be intermittent. This is for their future,”
Pandes said.

STILL RECOVERING. Rommel Marcelino of Barangay Barosbos in Carles, Iloilo says life will
never be the same after Yolanda.
Life will never be the same after Yolanda, Marcelino admitted. But help like the solar charging
stations made it easier for the fishermen of Carles to get back on their feet.

“We were able to recover faster because of help like this from NGOs and private individuals. We
didn't have any livelihood after the storm, but they helped us rebuild our houses and our boats,”
Marcelino said.

The fishermen of Barosbos and Bancal continue to rebuild their lives. But now, they no longer
have to endure the darkness. With the solar panels, life for them is brighter – and they hope it
continues to be. – Rappler.com

HYDROPOWER

I. Hydropower

Alex Magno (The Philippine Star) | Updated March 2, 2017 - 12:00am

http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2017/03/02/1677108/hydropower

This might be news for some: the Philippines is well ahead of most other countries, including
some of the most developed ones, in the amount of renewable energy (RE) production in its total
energy mix.

RE accounted for at least 26.44% of the country’s total power production. This is drawn from
hydropower, geothermal, wind, solar and biomass. We have a national plan to increase reliance
on RE. That plan is encouraging more investments in RE.

Over the past few years, several laws support the growth of RE. The 2001 Electric Power
Industry Reform Act (Epira) promotes the use of local and sustainable energy sources. The 2006
Biofuels Act, despite its imperfections, promotes the use of biofuels. The 2008 Renewable
Energy Act further encouraged the development of alternative energy sources. The 2009 Climate
Change Act provides the legal basis for dealing with climate change through sustainable energy
development.

The National Renewable Energy Plan (NREP) aims to triple our renewable energy production to
15,304 MW by 2030. We could hit that target even earlier.

A confluence of several factors help us grow our RE capacity very quickly. We have, for a long
time, been the world’s second largest producer of geothermal energy. That draws from the sheer
abundance of geothermal sources.

The technology for producing energy from renewable sources progressed dramatically the past
few years. The cost of solar panels, for instance, has been falling quite dramatically. Wind
turbines have become more efficient. The Philippines has been one of the countries that invested
early in wind power.
Most dramatically, engineering advances now make mini hydropower plants viable sources of
RE. That is important for an archipelagic country like ours.

Being an archipelago, we do not have large rivers that could power huge turbines such as the
Three Gorges Dam built in China. That huge dam complex is capable of generating power at
ridiculously low rates. However, the giant dam complex required depopulating many cities due
to be submerged – a feat that only a government like China could accomplish. The
environmental consequences of building such a large complex have been the subject of debate.

Instead of building a large dam complex, we could build many mini hydropower facilities whose
total production could add up to a significant volume of power generated. The technology for
nearly frictionless turbines makes it possible to generate power from small rivers, which is all we
have.

When I served with the DBP, I took particular interest in a mini hydropower facility in the island
of Bohol that the bank funded. I met with the communities to push for programs for protecting
the watershed areas around the facility. I was fascinated at how so little water was required to
generate electricity. That sort of mini hydropower facility could be replicated in many other
small islands, a lot of them out of the main grid, to generate the electricity that will bring them to
the economic mainstream.

  The prospect for building many more mini hydropower plants is now brighter with enterprises
such as Pure Energy Holdings Corporation. Through its various subsidiaries, Pure Energy is
looking to invest in a range of RE projects, most of which are hydroelectric facilities.

One subsidiary, Repower Energy Development Corp., now has a total capacity of 153 MW – of
which about 125 MW drawn from hydropower. The company is looking to have a total capacity
of 500MW in five years.

Another subsidiary, Pure Meridian Hydropower Corp., is building a mini hydropower facility on
the Pulanai River in Bukidnon. A 3 MW facility will be built on the upper cascade of the
Labayat River.

The cost of generating electricity using hydropower plants will be more competitive than solar or
wind power. This will help us increase RE production without burdening the consumer with
higher generation costs. That should be good news.
 II. 2 hydroelectric power plant projects ready to take off in Ilocos Norte

Leilanie G. Adriano June 8, 2017, 12:53 pm

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/994168

LAOAG CITY, June 8 (PNA) -— Two more hydroelectric power plants are set to break ground
in the mountainous towns of Solsona and Nueva Era courtesy of FDC Utilities Inc., a subsidiary
of Filinvest Development Corporation.

FDC representatives Engr. Neil Guillen and Mirable May Perez paid a courtesy call on members
of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Wednesday afternoon to seek their support to the project.

Since 2013, the Department of Energy has identified Madongan 1 and 2 in Nueva Era and
Solsona potential sites for run-of-river-type hydroelectric power development projects.

Under an open and competitive selection process, FDC expressed interest to pursue said projects
this year.

According to Guillen, FDC is set to develop hydroelectric power plants in the upstream of
Madongan 1 with a capacity of 11 megawatts (MW), Madongan 2 with 10.4 MW and 5.9 MW in
Solsona river.

Long before the establishment of the first wind farm along the Bangui bay in 2005, Ilocos
Norte’s status as the center of renewable energy (RE) started in the 1980s.

Initiated by the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, the Agua Grande mini-hydro power plant in
Pancian and Pasaleng rivers supplies clean and cheap power to more than 17,000 households in
Pagudpud and nearby villages in Bangui, Pasuquin and Bacarra towns. The plant has an actual
production of 1 megawatt because only two of the five water turbines are running.

Unlike the wind power farms which need a black start power from the National Grid Corporation
of the Philippines (NGCP) to produce and transfer energy to consumers, hydroelectric plants can
stand alone and it can be used as a black start power source, Guillen clarified when asked by
members of the Ilocos Norte board.

Hydro power plants generate power depending on the volume of rainfall that flows down the
river. Power produced from the hydro is cheaper by 40 percent.

In support of the national government’s vision to accelerate RE development in the country,

which seeks to curb dependence on volatile and often polluting energy sources such as coal and
petroleum, the DOE has been encouraging the development of hydropower resources, giving
special incentives to proponents and investors.(PNA)
III. Hydro, wind power booms in Philippines in 2014

Medilyn Manibo

Monday 13 January 2014

http://www.eco-business.com/news/hydro-wind-power-booms-philippines-2014/

Renewable energy in the typhoon-battered archipelago receive a boost as government issues

green light for several proposed power plants as part of larger efforts to become 100 per cent
powered by renewables within a decade
The Philippines energy grid is expecting a total of 5,468MW from hydroelectric power projects.

Hydroelectric power remains the most attractive renewable energy investment in the Philippines
as eight new mini hydro projects gain approval for construction this year.  

Hydrotec Renewables, the developer of the eight projects, which champions the use of low-
impact hydropower construction said this week the company, is investing US$53 million to
US$62 million on the combined 25-30-MW projects, eyed for completion by 2016.

The projects are located in nearby provinces outside Metro Manila, with three in Rodriguez City
(Sitio Wawa, San Isidro and San Jose), one in San Mateo, two in Marikina City (Tumana and
Nangka 4) and two in Antipolo City (Hinulugang Taktak and Nangka 1).

The company applies a ‘sustainable small hydro approach’, where it incorporates data gathered
from hydrological, topological and metrological research in the construction process, including
project site attributes to avoid the need to cut trees and inflict environmental disruption to the
flora and fauna and existing communities, its website said.

The company also espouses turnkey installation that do not require ‘tunnelling’ or capital
intensive building, thus shortening the construction timeframe to only seven to nine months.  

The eight new projects will also be installed with real time, satellite-connected weather forecast
system at each of Hydrotec’s hydropower plants at no cost for the hosting local city or municipal
government.

This aims to improve the efficiency and operation of the plant by giving a precise 72-hour
forecast about any meteorological events like storms, typhoons, direction and speed of wind and
clouds, and amount of rainfall. Trash racks will also be installed to help remove waste and
garbage materials from the rivers.

The company, owned by Filipino and German investors, said it is also looking to install power
plants in Leyte and other areas devastated by super typhoon Haiyan last November.

The typhoon had put tremendous pressure on the nation’s power grid after causing major
damages to energy facilities in the affected areas. Thus, renewable energy plays an important
role in the reconstruction of these communities.

The country is already one of the world’s leaders in renewable energy, with a third of its primary
energy source coming from renewables. Its Climate Change Commission said last year it is
laying a sustainable energy roadmap which aims to shift the country’s current fuel system to
100-percent renewable energy capacity in a decade.

“Any kind of renewable, ecological friendly produced electricity is an essential contribution to

the protection of our environment and nature for forthcoming generations and it will stabilise or
lower electricity prices,” Hydrotec Renewables managing director Hannes Mueller said in a
statement.

According to Department of Energy (DOE) data, hydropower - with a total capacity of 5,468MW
- will contribute the most amount of renewable energy in the country. Out of this, 2,950MW are
still in the pipeline.

“The major benefit of our projects is the average annual contribution of hundreds of megawatt-
hours of clean electricity to the Philippine grid, reduction of brownouts, avoiding thousands of
tons of carbon dioxide emissions and a significant reduction of the import and dependence of
crude oil and the operation of environment polluting carbon and diesel plants,” Mueller added.

Wind breaks                                           

Separately, four wind energy projects in Luzon were awarded the certificates of commerciality
last month which means developers can proceed with the construction of the projects and that
upon operations, these projects would supply to the grid under the feed-in-tariff (FIT) system.

Any kind of renewable, ecological friendly produced electricity is an essential contribution to the
protection of our environment and nature for forthcoming generations and it will stabilize or
lower electricity prices.

Hannes Mueller, managing director for Hydrotec Renewables

The government has approved FIT rates for renewable energy last year for wind, solar,
hydroelectric and biomass energy at a rate lower than those asked for by renewable energy
developers.
The FIT per kilowatt hour for solar power is set at PhP9.68 (US$0.223); wind, PhP8.53
(US$0.197); run-of-river hydroelectric power, PhP5.90 (US$0.136) and biomass PhP6.63
(US$0.153). Under the system, electricity sold to consumers is fixed for a period of 20 years.

The projects are: Energy Logics Philippines for a 48MW in the municipality of Pasuquin; Energy
Development Corp’s 63MW expansion of its existing project in the municipality of Burgos; AC
energy Holdings’s 45MW in Pagudpud; Ilocos Norte through its joint venture with Northern
Luzon UPC Asia Corp, and an 18MW expansion of its 33MW wind farm in Bangui.

These projects will add to five other ongoing constructions that have already received the
‘declarations of commerciality’ from the government.

Wind power is third among proposed renewable energy projects in the country after
hydroelectric and geothermal; aiming to supply 417MW to the grid. The 33MW Bangui Bay
Wind Power Project in Ilocos Norte is so far the only wind project that is supplying the grid.

The DOE further announced last month that in 2014, some 633.5MW of electricity coming from
wind and solar projects will be added to the grid and can power 126,700 households. Director of
the DOE’s renewable energy management bureau, Mario Marasigan said in a forum last year that
renewable energy contributes between 38 to 39 per cent to the country’s overall primary energy
resources. 

Geothermal and hydropower plants each account for about 14 per cent of the country’s total
energy mix, while other renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass are still
comparatively undeveloped. The country is aiming for its overall renewable energy programs to
have a capacity of 15,304 MW by 2030, up from about 5440 MW currently.

WIND ENERGY

I. Philippines wind farm generates power, jobs and curious tourists

Reporting by Ronn Bautista; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Michael Perry

April 20, 2017 / 11:09 AM / 3 months ago

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-earth-day-philippines-windpower-idUSKBN17M0CI

PILILLA, Philippines (Reuters) - Wind turbines are helping the Philippines diversify its energy
sources beyond fossil fuels and generating not only power, but jobs, revenue and interest among
thousands of curious tourists.

On the hills of Rizal province east of the capital Manila, 340,000 visitors have hit the viewing
deck of Pililla town's wind farm since it opened to the public last year, photographing and
marveling at its 27 white wind turbines that stand 125 meters (410 feet) high on a 4,500-hectare
site.
Wind power is slowly taking off in the Philippines, which faces a huge challenge to find cheaper,
cleaner and more efficient ways to power what are one of the world's fastest growing economies
and a swelling population of over 100 million people.

It's proving a draw for this province and supporting livelihoods too, with 300 people working at
the farm and a further 45 making wooden souvenirs of mini turbines the size of hand-held fans.

"A lot of people can see the beauty of the Philippines," said tourist Christian Lagaja. "Here, the
air is fresh and people are benefiting from the electricity it generates."

Wind energy is a work in progress and farms like this produce only a fraction of the country's
installed capacity of 20,055 megawatts, which the energy minister recently said needs to double
by 2030 to meet demand.

Power in the Philippines at present is generated 34 percent by coal, 34 percent by oil and gas and
32 percent from renewable sources, among them wind, biomass, hydropower and solar.

II. AC Energy to expand wind farm

Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star) | Updated April 24, 2017 - 12:00am

http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/04/24/1693184/ac-energy-expand-wind-farm

MANILA, Philippines -  AC Energy Holdings Inc. is expanding its renewable energy (RE)
portfolio as it eyes to augment by 69 megawatts (MW)  one of its wind farms in northern Luzon,
ranking officials said.

In line with the planned expansion, the Ayala energy holding unit is pushing for the
implementation of the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in the absence of the feed-in tariff
(FIT) scheme.

North Luzon Renewables Energy Corp. (NLREC) – an affiliate of AC Energy which owns and
operates an 81 MW wind farm in Barangay Caparispisan, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte – can have 69
MW expansion, its president Miguel de Jesus said.

 “We have an application for a service contract for 69 MW expansion to raise its generating
capacity to 150 MW,” he said, noting this can be done through a separate company.

Once permits are secured, AC Energy president and CEO John Eric Francia said proceeding with
the expansion project would depend on the implementation of the RPS.

A provision of the RE Act of 2008, RPS mandates power industry players to produce and source
a certain percentage of electricity from RE sources.
 “We’ve already applied and we are still waiting. We are working on that so we will be on push
button mode already by the time RPS becomes a reality. Once we complete all these pre-
development work which we are doing right now, then, hopefully it will dovetail with the period
when RPS is already being implemented,” he said.

De Jesus said NLREC’s expansion is on top of the plan to develop 150 MW to 200 MW more
wind projects in northern Luzon, which are owned by NLREC’s partner, UPC Philippines.

Once these are pursued, AC Energy will have discussions with UPC Philippines to partner for
the project expansion.

 “If that expansion happens or before it happens, we undertake to discuss it with UPC,” Francia
said.

III. Wind Energy a Major Investment in the Philippines

Alex B.

2012-02-27

http://www.renewableenergy.ph/wind-energy-a-major-investment-in-the-philippines.html

In a major push for green energy in the country, the Philippines’ Department of Energy (DOE)
has recorded an approval of of 700 MWs wind projects in the year 2011. The largest power-
generating project to have been approved (at a whopping 420 MWs) is the CoastalPower
Development Corporation wind power project, located in the province of Sorsogon.
CoastalPower also has another project in Camarines Norte, which amounts to 100 MWs.

Other notable projects to have been approved are Energy Logics Philippines’ Zambales 112 MW
Mt. Redondo wind power project, and its 100 MW wind power project in Ilocos Norte. Wind
developers that had their projects approved by the DOE are currently waiting for the final rates
of the feed-in tariff, which is still under talks. Approval of these rates are to be discussed with the
Energy Regulatory Commission.

Because of the high number of projects that were approved, the National Grid Corporation of the
Philippines are currently conceptualizing a network of transmission lines that can further help
put on spreading power in Philippine regions. A particular project of the National Grid is the
Northern Luzon 230 kV loop, which essentially will loop the north-eastern and north-western
grids of the island. If approved, the said project will provide a more reliable power distribution
service for the northern part of the country.