The Department of Energy (DOE) will be helping Metro Manila schools reduce their dependence on the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) through the installation of solar power systems on various campuses.
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla on Friday said the DOE would be launching its 鈥渟olar rooftop program鈥� in July, with the Manuel L. Quezon University in Manila as pilot site.
鈥淭he rest (of the schools) will come one after the other,鈥� Petilla told reporters.
If the pilot proves successful in Metro Manila, the government will replicate the project in other provinces, namely Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon and Pampanga.
The project will be implemented in areas covered by the franchise聽 of Meralco, which has a net metering program that enables renewable energy producers to offset their grid consumption with power produced from solar, wind and similar technologies.
The schools would pay the private supplier for the electricity generated by the solar rooftops at about P9.50 per kilowatt-hour, or P2 cheaper than the Meralco rate of P11.50 per kWh.
鈥淎ll schools within Meralco鈥檚 franchise area would need some 270 megawatts from the solar rooftops. The target is by 2015 all private schools will already source part of their electricity needs from solar power,鈥� Petilla said.
Mario Marasigan, director of DOE鈥檚 Renewable Energy Management Bureau, said the pilot installations are only for 100 kilowatts, which can be set up within 60 days from the start of each contract.
鈥淭here are at least six participant-suppliers for the initial three or four schools, so there will be a selection process,鈥� he said.
The schools participating in DOE鈥檚 program will provide the space and will not spend for the solar installation. They will聽 pay the supplier only for the energy produced.
鈥淭his will ensure that the suppliers will install their systems well. Without production, they don鈥檛 get paid,鈥� Marasigan said.
The DOE first disclosed plans for the solar rooftop project last year, when the project was still being conceptualized.