The Department of Energy just made the market for solar panels or solar photovoltaic systems bigger, by requiring all government agencies, including government owned and controlled corporations and local government units to install solar panels or other renewable energy technology within the next three years.
In a statement, the DOE said the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation committee promulgated Resolution No. 8 on July 7, 2023 giving government entities three years to put up a renewable energy system that will supply 20% of their electricity requirements.
Government units that install solar panels or renewable energy technology with less than 100 kilowatts of capacity will be considered as qualified end-users and may enter into a net-metering agreement with distribution utilities. QEs generate electricity and can be connected to the grid for the purpose of entering into a net metering agreement.
Customers enrolled in a net metering program can install solar panels or renewable energy systems not exceeding 100 kW. They can use the electricity they generate for their own use and the excess is then exported to the distribution system, with the distribution utility crediting the customer for the excess electricity that can be deducted from their bill.
Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said this will bring down the monthly electricity bills of government entities and the savings can be channeled to other services such as health and education.
The DOE’s Energy Utilization Management Bureau will assist government agencies in the installation of the solar photovoltaic systems. At present, the DOE-EUMB has three solar demonstration projects that can be found in the NEDA’s Region IX Office in Pagadian City, the DOE’s Luzon Field Office in Pangasinan, and the Mariano Marcos State University in Ilocos Norte.
The DOE-EUMB will also provide an official list of solar PV installers for reference and guidance of government offices and work with the Department of Public Works and Highways in evaluating the structural integrity of the office buildings.
