2 Eastern Visayas towns power municipal buildings with solar

Amid rising electricity costs and worsening power instability, the towns of Guiuan in Eastern Samar and Paranas in Samar have turned to solar energy to power their municipal buildings.

Both towns received complete photovoltaic systems donated by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), a nongovernmental organization. The systems will be installed on the rooftops of the municipal buildings to increase energy independence and reduce reliance on the unstable power grid.

Angelo Kairos Dela Cruz, ICSC Executive Director, stated that the project aims to drive renewable energy (RE) adoption in local government units by encouraging rooftop-mounted solar PV systems in municipal, commercial, industrial, and residential buildings. The initiative is expected to help the towns achieve sustainability goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels while cutting long-term power costs.

Guiuan Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan noted that the town’s reliance on expensive and unreliable electricity has hindered economic growth.

“Our town has been plagued by high energy costs and frequent power outages. The crisis has deterred investors and hampered fisheries production,” Kwan said. “We cannot take off; we remain poor because of problems in power.”

She expressed hope that the solarization of the municipal building will inspire other establishments, both private and government, to follow suit. Guiuan LGU received 100 solar panels, each capable of generating 600 watts, providing a peak capacity of 60,000 watts.

Meanwhile, Paranas Mayor Eunice Babalcon shared that their solarization efforts began in 2019, powering the municipal evacuation center and material recovery facility.

With the installation of new solar panels for their municipal building, Babalcon emphasized the town's commitment to climate action, mitigation, and adaptation. "This is one strong step towards realizing and contributing to the mitigation of climate impacts," Babalcon said.

Under the project, Paranas will receive 88 units of 555-watt bifacial solar panels, totaling 48,840 watts of capacity. Both LGUs are required to apply for Net Metering with their respective electric cooperatives – Samar Electric Cooperative II for Paranas and Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative for Guiuan. Net Metering will allow the LGUs to sell surplus electricity generated during weekends when municipal operations are minimal.

If approved, the Guiuan municipal building could become the first establishment in Eastern Samar to benefit from the Net Metering Law.