An emerging renewable energy company will build a 65-megawatt peak (MWp) solar farm in San Pablo, Isabela with P3 billion in investments amid the boom in sustainable power projects.

Raeos Energy Philippines Inc. (Raeos) will build the project in San Pablo, Isabela through subsidiary Solar Valley Energy Solutions Inc. (SVESI), with a target of November 2025 to start operations.

SVESI said aside from providing green electricity, the project also aims to uplift the local community through various projects.

The project is expected to generate over 1,000 jobs, providing a significant boost to local employment in surrounding communities.

Raeos Energy president and CEO Archie Rodriguez said the first phase of the project is expected to be completed between November and December next year while the second phase is expected to be in operation a year after.

“While the initial 65 MWp of capacity is set for construction, plans are already in place to expand the solar farm to a total capacity of 169 MWp, following the successful bid for an additional 104 MWp in the 2nd round of Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP),” Rodriguez bared.

Backed by community

The solar farm will rise in Sitio Antagan, Barangay Annanuman, San Pablo.  “We selected this location, not only because it is elevated and free from flooding, but largely because of the support of the local community and its leaders,” according to Rodriguez. 

Thus, he said unwavering support from Deputy Speaker Isabela Rep. Tonypet Albano, Governor Rodito Albano, Mayor Antonio Miro Jr. and the local council for their unwavering support of our project and their commitment to renewable and sustainable energy development in Isabela. 

It is because of their commitment to the development of their province that we likewise have been steadfast in investing in it wholeheartedly.

Rodriguez said the construction of the project’s next phase will commence “shortly before energizing the 1st phase and we expect to energize the 2nd phase in November/December of 2026.”

SVESI has chosen ERS Energy Pte. Ltd. (ERS) as the main Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contractor.

ERS partnered with Radiance Solar Solutions Inc., a local company that will be responsible for managing the project’s operations.

Buyer assured

The solar project already has a secured offtake route with a winning bid under the second round of the Department of Energy’s (DoE) GEAP.

As a winning bidder, SVESI is eligible to enter into a Renewable Energy Payment Agreement with the state-owned National Transmission owner of the grid, and sell its generated clean electricity at the fixed tariff awarded to it of P4.1998 per kilowatt hour (/kWh).

SVESI was awarded a 20-year agreement under the GEAP scheme but Rodriguez added “We expect the farm to be operational beyond that.”

“There is natural degradation in solar panels, but with proper care and maintenance, we should be able to sustain healthy power generation from it,” Rodriguez told Daily Tribune. 

He explained preventive maintenance includes cleaning panels regularly, monitoring power cables, mounting structures, inverters and other related equipment to ensure consistent and robust power generation. 

“We expect to have regular internal and external operational audits and maintenance programs to help us sustain and achieve peak performance out of our facility,” he added.

 The solar project “will be using only AAA-rated panels, inverters, cables, connections, racking systems, etc.  In fact, due to heavy winds that the north typically encounters during typhoon season, our racking systems will be rated for 300 kilometer per hour (kph) winds,” Rodriguez indicated.

‘There is natural degradation in solar panels, but with proper care and maintenance, we should be able to sustain healthy power generation from it.’

In addition, the project will bring benefits through the ER 1-94 program, which supports local livelihood initiatives and environmental enhancement projects.

The construction of the solar farm also furthers the DoE’s goals of achieving a 35 percent renewable energy share in the national power generation mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

Maiden RE project

As its first renewable energy project, the start of construction of SVESI marks a significant step for Raeos, a joint venture between Tech Energie Reserves Inc. and Alba Renewables Pte. Ltd.

TERI is a local player in the Philippines coming in with 50 years of experience within the energy sector and more than 15 years of experience within the renewable energy space, while the Alba team has 5 GW of project experience across more than 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.