SOLAR ENERGY

Introduction
The Philippines location just above the equator is an advantage when talking about the amount of solar radiation in the country that can be converted into useful energy. In addition, the country has several months of summer or a long hot season. In 2004, a grid-connected centralized solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant was put up in Cagayan de Oro City, which is one of the largest in the region. The plant is catering to no less than 900 residential customers who are served by the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company, Inc. (CEPALCO).

Philippine Advantage
Average solar radiation ranges from 128 to 203 watts per sq. m. or an average of 161.7 watts per sq. m. Based on NRELs Climatological Solar Radiation Model for the Philippines, there is potential to generate 4.5 to 5.5 kWh/m2/day in the country Ideal locations areas in the northern part of the Philippines = 4.5 to 5.0 kWh/m2/day areas in the southern part of the Philippines = 5.0 to 5.5 kWh/m2/day

Industry Player
Existing Industry Players Cagayan Electric Power & Light Co., Inc. (1 MW) in Cagayan de Oro City that uses 6,500 polycrystalline silicon solar panels on a 2-hectare area Gaining from its successful experience, CEPALCO envisions to install 20-MW plant on a 30hectare lot within its service territory. First Philec Solar Corp. (FPSC) the first large-scale silicon wafer slicing company in the Philippines offers wafer slicing services with manufacturing facilities located in Tanauan City and Sto. Tomas, Batangas the primary supplier of solar-grade silicon wafers of SunPower SunPower Philippines Manufacturing Ltd. (SPML) first semiconductor fab in the Philippines and the first large-scale solar cell facility in Southeast Asia with manufacturing plant located in Laguna Technopark in Sta. Rosa, Laguna a subsidiary of SunPower Corp. (USA) -- the world leader in high-efficiency mono-crystalline silicon solar cell production Solar Energy Service Contracts Presently, only 1 solar energy service contract for pre development stage was awarded by the DOE, i.e. Aurora Special Economic Zone Authority for its 1 MW solar farm in Aurora province. There are 49 other solar energy service contracts still for review by the DOE.

Industry Potentials
Solar energy has a wide variety of power and non-power applications It provides a lot of opportunities for even the remotest communities

Industry Studies Department Board of Investments

SOLAR ENERGY

Government Support Technical/R&D support

DOE together with the US NREL conducted resource assessment of solar power potential using both ground-based measurements of the daily total number of hours of sunshine duration and the US NRELs Climatological Solar Radiation (CSR) Model which connects information on satellite-and surface-derived cloud cover data. This assessment provides data that developers and investors can use to help establish successful solar technologies in the Philippines.

Contacts Philippine Solar Power Alliance

Ms. Tetchie Cruz-Capellan President

Industry Studies Department Board of Investments