MANILA, Philippines - Barely two months after launching the country’s largest own-use solar plant on Central Mall Binan, the country’s No. 1 solar provider has marked another milestone by energizing SM North Edsa, now the world’s largest solar-powered mall. Its inauguration is slated today with President Benigno Aquino in attendance.
Solar Philippines has partnered with SM Malls to build this first of many solar plants around the country as part of SM’s commitment to use clean, renewable energy.
For this pioneering project, the North Edsa parking building was outfitted with 5,760 solar panels and 60 inverters covering over 12,000 square meters. The 1.5 MW plant will augment the mall’s power requirements, or the equivalent of 2,000 Filipino homes. It is expected to operate for over 25 years and offset an estimated 40,000 tons of CO2, or achieve the equivalent benefit of planting 200,000 trees.
Solar Philippines is taking the lead in accelerating the adoption of solar energy as a solution to climate change and the power crisis. The company’s mission is to make solar affordable and accessible to every home and business in the country.
“The days of having to choose between business and the environment are over,” said Leandro Leviste, president of Solar Philippines.
He went on to explain that the reason solar technology is thought to be expensive is because previous efforts were too small to benefit from economies of scale.
“By building the country’s largest projects, we’ve become the first local company to make solar cost-competitive with fossil fuel,” he said.
As it expands into more high-profile commercial projects, Solar Philippines intends to bring solar to the residential market at more affordable prices than ever before. Its recently introduced residential packages are empowering Metro Manila homeowners to drastically cut their electricity bills, taking the company further along its mission of bringing solar to every home and business in the country.