SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Datian Subic Shoes Inc., the Philippine manufacturing arm of Taiwan’s Datian Shoes, expects to reduce its electricity costs by 40 percent by installing a 3.06-megawatt-peak (MWp) rooftop solar system across its two plants in this free port.

Berde Renewables, an energy developer backed by I Squared Capital, undertook the project with no upfront capital investment from Datian.

Under a 20-year Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) power purchase agreement, Berde financed, designed, and built the solar systems and will own, operate, and maintain them throughout the contract term.

The system is one of the largest rooftop solar installations in Subic Bay, with 2.063 MWp at Factory 1 and 1.0 MWp at Factory 2, using 4,834 bifacial solar modules and 17 inverters.

The solar rooftops are expected to generate about 4 GWh in the first year and over 80 GWh for the 20-year contract, avoiding about 3,232 tons of CO₂ a year, equivalent to planting roughly 122,000 trees annually.

For Datian, which employs more than 5,000 workers in the country, the shift addresses three pressures facing Philippine exporters: energy costs, customer emissions requirements and power reliability.

As global footwear brands tighten supply-chain emissions rules, the installation gives Datian verifiable energy data to support its customers’ sustainability reporting. By generating a significant share of its daytime power on site, Datian can also reduce its reliance on the grid during operating hours, helping protect its equipment from grid fluctuations that have previously caused damage at its plants.

“Our customers expect us to be a reliable long-term partner, and that now includes powering our factories with clean energy,” said Vincent Chen, President of Datian Subic Shoes Inc.

“This investment strengthens our position as a global supplier and reinforces our commitment to the local economy. Through our partnership with Berde, we did it without diverting capital from production,” Chen added.

Berde’s engineering team and contractors completed the project even through the July–September 2026 monsoon season, logging 35,550 safe man-hours with zero lost-time injuries. The system was built to local and international standards, with top-tier equipment for modules and inverters, mounting systems, and rapid shutdown technology.

“Datian treated energy as a strategic input, not a utility bill,” said Patrick Zhu, CEO of Berde Renewables. “Manufacturers in the Subic Freeport compete on cost, delivery and, increasingly, on the emissions profile of what they ship. Datian is ahead on all three.”

The partnership with Berde also gives Datian a fixed tariff cost, locked in ahead of recent disruptions in global energy markets, leaving the company better positioned to manage rising costs and price volatility. ▲