Philippine solar summit set for June 1 at SMX
Manila, Philippines - On June 1 to June 3, the first ever Philippine Solar Photovoltaic Summit will be held at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia to increase awareness on the benefits of solar technology. The Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Phils. and the Philippine Solar Power Alliance are mounting the event.
The German Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GPCCI) will also play a major role in the summit. There will be a German pavilion of solar companies at the Exhibition Hall apart from the GPCCI sponsoring the keynote speaker, Hans-Josef Fell, for this event. The PV Summit will be riding on the Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Convention and Exhibition, which will be also held at the same place and date.
The summit seeks to enlighten the public on the misconceptions regarding solar energy and will bring together, for the first time, government, businesses, funding institutions, research agencies, and most of all, manufacturers, suppliers, and power generation companies engaged in wafer slicing, cell fab, panel manufacturing, systems integration and renewable energy solutions.
The highlight of the event is the participation of Fell, a member of the German Bundestag, and the author of the Renewable Energy for Germany.
About 800 square meters of exhibition space will be dedicated to companies in manufacturing, power generation, distribution and supplying solar companies from Asia, Europe and North America. The Philippines will showcase its very own Sikat 1 car, patterned after the Sinag car, which placed 12th in the 2007 World Solar Challenge race of solar cars in Australia. Speakers representing Asia, Europe and North American markets will share best practices as well as challenges in finding renewable energy solutions, action plans and results. A CEO forum on “Making the Philippines a Solar Manufacturing Hub” caps the day’s event.
On June 3, there will be a one-day plant tour of the facilities of First Philec Solar Corporation and SunPower Philippines at the First Philippines Industrial Park in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.
In a recent interview, Philippine Solar Power Alliance (PSPA) president Tetchi Cruz-Capellan explained the reasons why we need to go solar. First, the Philippines already built in 2004 the first utility-scale solar power plant in Cagayan de Oro, the biggest solar project in the developing world, and was the result of a collaboration between CEPALCO and the International Finance Corporation.
“The 1MW solar plant of CEPALCO has developed the local manpower and technical capacity for solar energy. Its seven years of operational experience provided scientific data and hard evidence enhancing our capability for plant design and engineering as well as the financial management of a utility-scale solar power plant,” she explained.
Secondly, the first factory of SunPower Philippines was established in Sta Rosa, Laguna. SunPower Philippines is one of the top five cell manufacturing company and its assembly in the Philippines has an annual rated output of 590MW. It employs 4,000 people and exports to Europe and the United States. In 2007, First Philec Solar Corp built the wafer slicing business in Batangas to support the growing operations of SunPower Philippines and strengthen the supply chain of the materials for solar energy generation. Today, Nexolon Corp has invested millions of dollars to expand the wafer business in the Philippines.
Capellan added, “A 180kw rooftop installation now stands in the ecozone of Batangas, demonstrating how solar rooftop installation can mitigate the rising energy demand of industries and factories in the ecozones.”
Finally, solar home systems provided solutions to poor, off-grid communities across the country. Over 10,000 homes have been lighted by solar energy. This implies the viability of solar energy as residential solutions to energy demand.
“Amid rising prices of oil and coal, and the pressing power crisis in Mindanao, the solar power industry hopes to harness a powerful policy instrument handed by Congress to drive the renewable energy solutions forward and bring the country closer to energy independence and energy access for all,” she said.
For exhibit reservations, registrations and inquiries about the Solar/PV Summit, call 844-9028 to 30. You can also email katllorin@seipi.org.ph or rrpineda112502@yahoo.com. Major Solar/PV Summit Sponsor is the German Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
