BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Provincial Government has signed a P158.28-million power purchase agreement (PPA) with WeGen Energy Philippines, Inc. for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with a total capacity of 1,270.5-kilowatt peak (kWp).
The signing was executed between Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and the company’s Vice President for Sales and Operations, Orlando Alparce, at the capitol on April 29.
The six identified project sites under the agreement are the Negros First Cyber Centre, with a system size of 588.5 kWp; Provincial Capitol, 140.8 kWp; Food Terminal Market, 99 kWp; and Negros First Hostel, 68.2 kWp, all in Bacolod City; as well as Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City, 220 kWp; and Valeriano Gatuslao District Hospital in Himamaylan City, 154 kWp.
WeGen shall install the system within 90 days from the receipt of the contract, which will run for 25 years, after which the ownership of the system shall be transferred to the provincial government at no additional cost.
According to the provincial government, the installation of the solar PV system will supply at least 40 percent of its power requirements and will result in an estimated savings of P9.637 million annually or P404.537 million in 25 years.
Additionally, the project has numerous positive environmental impacts, including avoiding 25,521 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 25 years, the equivalent of planting 421,987 trees. It also offsets the use of approximately 2,506,947 gallons of diesel that would have been required to produce the same energy output and prevents the use of 28,348,799 pounds of coal.
The said project adheres to the directive of the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee, led by the Department of Energy through Resolution No. 8, series of 2023, for all government entities to source at least 20 percent of their energy requirements from renewable sources./PN
