By HENRY EMPEÑO | May 25, 2021

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Grasping the inevitability of going green, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now adding renewable energy to its power mix with high hopes for generating substantial savings and keeping itself competitive for future business.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency has just equipped two of its main offices—Buildings 229 and 255—with a grid-tied solar power system that would save from 12 to 39 percent of their current electric consumption cost.

The new system will produce power at about 90 kilowatts-peak (kWp), which is the rate at which a photovoltaic or solar power system can generate energy at peak performance.

“SBMA is going green—which is not only good for the environment, but is even economically inevitable because that’s the way things are shaping up,” Eisma said on Monday. “You either shift to renewables, or become inefficient and less competitive.”

Eisma said that after Buildings 229 and 255, the SBMA will have six other SBMA facilities, including the Remy Field sports complex, up for similar solar system upgrades.

“With these solar power sources, we expect not only to save on electricity billings, but also to sell some of the excess power that we can export back to the grid,” Eisma stressed.

The SBMA finally hopped into the green bandwagon after a 10-kilowatt pilot project at the SBMA Regulatory Building ran successfully after installation two years ago. The grid-tied solar power system there generated 5,140 kilowatt-hours (kWh) from August to December 2018, yielded 13,381 kWh in 2019 and 13,940 kWh in 2020.

The savings generated by the 10-kW system meanwhile reached P44,615 in five months in 2018; P116,147 in 2019; and P130,871 last year, SBMA records showed.

Eisma said they expect similar or better outcomes for the upgrades at Buildings 229 and 255 where the project contractor, Kennedy Energy and Development Corp., has just finished tapping the array of rooftop photovoltaic panels to existing power distribution mains last week.

“Our computations place savings in the vicinity of P807,476 each year for Building 255, with close to 39 percent reduction of electric consumption, while savings for Building 229 would be around P415,970 per year at close to 12 percent reduction of electricity use,” Eisma said.

According to Engr. Tony Rafanan of the SBMA Telecommunications Department, which is in charge of the project, the installation of solar power systems would cost an average of P6 million per building, and in the case of Remy Field may reach P19 million.

However, each building installed with the solar power system will be able to generate savings ranging from P60,000 to P120,000 a month, depending on the generated power of the system, he said.

“The higher the generated power would be, the bigger the savings,” Rafanan added.

He explained that the grid-tied solar power system drastically reduces electricity bill, and during weekends will sell excess energy back to the grid via net metering. The system will also automatically prioritize the use of solar source, thus keeping the use of the grid at minimum level.

Rafanan said that with total project cost at P6,854,000, which is the bidder’s price for the two buildings, and with the cost of energy demand at P465,286 per month, each solar-powered building can deliver annual savings of P1.22 million.

“At this rate, we can already expect a return of investment or ROI in just 5.6 years, which is very favorable considering that the solar panels have a life expectancy of 25 years,” he also said. ~