Napocor rolls out solar home systems to far-flung areas

MANILA, Philippines — State-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) is rolling out solar home systems (SHS),  one megawatt-peak (MWp) solar farms, and an initial set of prepaid meters  to power up far-flung areas in the country.

Napocor said these projects are implemented under the Access to Sustainable Energy in the Philippines Programme (ASEP), a joint undertaking of the EU and the Department of Energy that aims to give the poor access to affordable, clean and disaster-resilient energy systems.

“It fast-tracks our efforts towards the country’s total electrification at the household level. In fact, Napocor will also implement its own SHS projects in far-flung areas,” Napocor president and CEO Pio Benavidez said.

Napocor recently awarded the supply and delivery of 30,500 units of SHS to Trademaster Resources Corp, which will distribute the units to six electric cooperatives in Mindanao.

Each SHS package includes a 50-Wp solar panel, charge controller with lithium-ion batteries, which can power four LED bulbs, a radio, a torch light and five-volt DC USB ports to charge mobile phones.

“These SHS units will help our six coops provide electricity to 30,500 households using clean and renewable energy. The system is prepaid and household beneficiaries may purchase load credits from their respective electric cooperatives,” Napocor project head Rommel Mamangun said.

Mamangun said the provision of SHS under the photovoltaic mainstreaming program is administered by the World Bank and financed through the EU’s P3.8 billion assistance to the Philippine energy sector.