Wilcon Depot taps Meralco unit for solar rooftop

MANILA, Philippines — Spectrum, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), has partnered with Wilcon Depot Inc. to put up solar rooftop projects in support of the latter’s push for sustainability.

In a statement, Spectrum said it would install a total of 1,306.46-kilowatt peak (kwp) of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for Wilcon’s branches located in Antipolo, Rizal; General Trias, Cavite; Tayabas, Quezon; Jaro, Iloilo; and Makato, Aklan.

“Wilcon Depot has partnered with Spectrum in support of our sustainability journey as they speak quality, character, and excellent service in each project. We are thankful to have such an outstanding organization in enabling Wilcon to achieve our sustainability goals,” Wilcon president and CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan said during the launch of the solar projects in Antipolo City.

The solar projects will have a combined annual generation capacity of 1.7 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy and are expected to reduce Wilcon’s carbon footprint by 1,222 tons annually, or the equivalent of 2.5 million trees planted.

The solar PV systems will also allow Wilcon to save as much as P5.15 million in energy costs every year.

Wilcon aims to power its entire store network with solar PV systems aligned with its goal to become a more sustainable company.

Out of Wilcon’s 74 stores nationwide, 39 are already powered by solar PVs.

Spectrum president and CEO Ferdinand Geluz welcomed the opportunity to develop Wilcon’s solar facility requirements in five stores.

“We admire that Wilcon had the foresight on how to contribute in easing the impact of unstable prices of fuel, low supply from generation companies, and harnessed the power of the sun through the use idle roof space. Not only does it reduce carbon footprint, it also lessens energy costs which drives operational efficiency,” he said.

“What we offer at Spectrum is a one-stop shop solar solution-supporting Meralco’s promise to customers of being their trusted end-to-end energy solutions provider,” said Geluz, who is also Meralco FVP and chief commercial officer.

Prior to entering a partnership with Spectrum, Meralco provided its expertise in addressing power quality concerns in Wilcon’s stores, helping ensure business continuity which became even more crucial amid the pandemic.

Spectrum offers tailor-fit solutions for industrial, commercial, and residential customers through an in-depth understanding of energy consumption behaviors and strategic partnerships with world-class technology partners.