Philippines has potential for over 1,800 MW solar rooftop capacity – think tank

MANILA, Philippines —  The Philippines is sitting on a solar rooftop goldmine, with about 1,846 megawatts (MW) of capacity ready to power homes, businesses and industries, according to a think tank.

The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) has identified massive solar rooftop potential across 174 cities and municipalities in the country.

Of the total capacity, 1,309.64 MW were found in Luzon, 472.48 MW in the Visayas and 61.08 MW in Mindanao.

“Solar energy is not just about sustainability; it is about economic empowerment, especially for those in underserved and last-mile communities. At ICSC, we believe data drives purposeful action,” ICSC executive director Angelo Kairos dela Cruz said.

The Manila-based think tank mapped out the country’s vast solar rooftop potential through SPECTRUM, or the solar power estimation of capacities and tracking using machine learning.

Developed by ICSC, SPECTRUM is a mapping tool that allows users to visualize solar rooftop installations and estimate existing capacity nationwide.

“Through initiatives like SPECTRUM, we turn research into evidence-based policies that guide national planning and empower local governments to adopt climate-smart strategies,” dela Cruz said.

ICSC chief data scientist Jephraim Manansala said the rising number of unregistered solar rooftop capacities presents a challenge to distribution utilities in terms of operational adjustments and future planning.

“Despite being unregistered, these growing capacities could still contribute significantly to renewable energy generation targets. That’s why we need a clearer, more granular view of what’s already on the ground,” Manansala said.

He said the ICSC plans to scale up SPECTRUM to cover 300 to 400 cities by next month, reinforcing efforts to advance the country’s energy transition push.

“We’re trying to continuously expand this platform, and let’s see in the future how this will evolve,” Manansala said.

The geographic scope of SPECTRUM was rolled out in three phases, with the first phase covering Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao and Iloilo City.

The second phase expanded to the Greater Metro Manila area and other cities, while the third phase includes other highly urbanized cities and municipalities, along with Philippine Economic Zone Authority areas.