Solar power to energize Pueblo de Oro developments

Pueblo De Oro Development Corporation, the property development arm of the ICCP Group, is walking the sustainability talk by installing solar panel systems to energize buildings in its projects.

A pioneer of "green living" in the Philippines, Pueblo de Oro has consistently integrated environmental programs in its developments in Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Pampanga and Batangas. This includes flood control measures, erosion mitigation measures, recycling programs, generous open spaces and nature reserves, all designed to make communities more environmentally resilient.

The developer has recently begun to harness renewable energy in its projects to make its site operations even more sustainable.

Pueblo de Oro Golf & Country Club in Cagayan de Oro has installed solar panels in its Bag Drop Building, resulting to approximately 12 percent savings in monthly electricity consumption for the Club.

In Cebu, Pueblo de Oro installed another rooftop solar system at Pueblo de Oro Townsquare, a three-level commercial strip located in Babag 2, Lapu-Lapu City. The system powers the administration office located in the retail center and is projected to reduce the office's monthly electricity cost by approximately 46 percent.

These initial rooftop solar panel set-ups are estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a combined 2,128 kilograms per year, equivalent to 97 trees planted and grown. On average, a mature tree can absorb and sequester approximately 22 kilograms of CO2 per year.

"We will continue to tap into innovative practices and technologies, such as renewable energy, and expand its use in our day-to-day operations to make our developments more sustainable and environmentally friendly," said Pueblo de Oro officials.

In addition to the rooftop solar panels, the developer has also installed solar-powered streetlights in its various project sites. A total of 720 streetlight fixtures, ranging from 100 to 200 watts, were set up in Cagayan de Oro; Mactan, Cebu; Santo Tomas, Batangas; and San Fernando, Pampanga.

Running at an average of 10 hours a day, the installed solar streetlights represent savings of over 320,000 kWh of grid-supplied electricity, or a reduction of CO2 emissions of approximately 154,787 kg per year, equivalent to over 7,000 trees planted and grown.

In its Townscapes Malvar township in Batangas, the company is planning to utilize electric vehicles to service the community and potentially integrate them into the public transport network of the province.

Meanwhile, Pueblo de Oro's house design at Townscapes Malvar has secured a preliminary certification from EDGE, an internationally recognized green building certification system. EDGE reported that the purposeful and innovative design resulted in improvements of 20 percent in energy efficiency, 52 percent in water efficiency and a high 72 percent in embodied energy in materials used compared to a typical housing unit.

For the homeowner, these translate to an estimated energy savings of 623.2 kWh per housing unit per year, or over P7,700 per year (estimated at current rates). It also means savings of 63 cubic meters of water per household per year.