Solar energy powers town near San Roque dam

MANILA, Philippines - San Manuel, Pangasinan hosts the 345-megawatt San Roque dam but the local government is saving about P60,000 per month in electricity costs by using solar energy.

Former mayor Salvador Perez said they spent about P9 million for the purchase of solar panels, batteries and other equipment from the US about four years ago, but their savings on electric consumption have been substantial. He said this is the only town in Pangasinan that uses solar energy technology. 

“In five or six years, you can already get back your investment but the life span of solar energy equipment is 50 years,” said Perez, who is now the vice mayor.

Thirty-four street lamps in the poblacion area and 14 lamps in the town park use solar power. The town’s police station and the Don Laureano Perez Clinic owned by the municipal government are also powered by solar energy.

The money used to buy solar power gadgets came from the business taxes paid by the San Roque Power Corporation which operates the dam. The town gets about P19 million annually in taxes from the dam. 

The municipal government has also started giving additional benefit to every household in the form of a P600 subsidy for electric consumption every two years, starting in 2008. The money came from the share of the local government from the national wealth tax because of the establishment of the dam.

The municipal government also shoulders the electric consumption of public schools in 14 barangays, excluding those in Barangays San Vicente, Narra and San Roque which have their own share from the national wealth tax because these are located around the area where the dam was built.