SHOPPING mall Gaisano City in La Paz district, Iloilo City, will be the first shopping complex in Western Visayas to fully go solar with the installation of solar panels at its rooftop starting September 2016.
A letter dated August 22 by Raymundo Jarque Jr., vice president of Energy Development Corp. (EDC) Bago Solar Power Corp., to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog requested for an endorsement of the EDC Gaisano Iloilo Solar Rooftop Project, which the corporation intends to develop, construct, install, operate and maintain a solar project.
The City Council approved the endorsement.
A power purchase agreement (PPA) was signed last July 20 between the management of Gaisano City La Paz and EDC, a subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings, to start the rooftop solar project for a 20-year contract on the more than one hectare shopping mall in Iloilo City.
Jarque is pushing for renewable and sustainable solar power that is of low carbon technology and requires low maintenance with no emission during operation.
A typical solar project will generate power from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day with no worry of power failure from the sun.
EDC seeks to push for solar solutions for the city not to be solely dependent on fossil fuel and coal.
Iloilo City is hosting two coal-fired power plants and one diesel power plant by producing more than 300 megawatts to serve the power needs of the city and electric cooperatives. (Sunnex)