Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – The largest self-use solar rooftop power plant in the country was launched yesterday at a shopping mall in Laguna. The 700-kilowatt Central Mall Biñan solar rooftop project is part of the country’s efforts to promote the use of renewable energy and reduce the public’s dependence on coal-fired power plants. Premiumlink Development Corp., the company operating Central Mall Biñan, tapped Solar Philippines which designed, constructed and installed at zero upfront cost the entire system. Solar Philippines and Premiumlink signed a purchase power agreement wherein the energy generated by the solar power plant is sold to the establishment for its own consumption, at a rate lower than the usual electricity rates in the area. With the power plant on its roof augmenting 30 percent of City Mall Biñan’s total energy consumption, the mall’s management is able to save more than P100,000 monthly on electricity bills. Spreading over 700 square meters of sunlit roof space, the solar power plant is made up of 2,514 top quality solar panels on steel mounting structures that can withstand wind speeds up to 200 kph. The energy generated by the panels is converted into electricity by 87 inverters, ready to be used by the mall tenants, administration and mall goers, Solar Philippines said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The Central Mall Biñan solar rooftop project is the first solar project granted loan financing by one of the country’s biggest banks, Ayala-owned Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI). Furthermore, the project Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) is introducing ways to allow the public to calculate their appliances’ monthly consumption and forecast possible savings. The move is part of efforts to promote practical means to encourage energy efficiency practices in the country. In line with this, the DOE is already spearheading the introduction of inter-active websites that can inform and create awareness to consumers regarding energy efficiency. The wattmatters.org.ph site, for instance, encourages web visitors to calculate as well as simulate the monthly consumption, savings and projected energy efficiency of their desired appliances. Similarly, kuryente.org.ph acts as a reference for consumers to be informed of the present electricity prices in their areas and the contents of their electricity bills. Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said since the website launch, consumers are becoming more aware of energy consumption and energy efficiency. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “Transparency in the sector is a good model to create awareness and sound partnerships with our consumers, They can be part of the solution of reducing our power consumptions, thus promoting efficiency and saving money as well,” he said. The DOE’s Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB) has been robust in promoting energy efficiency through its Information, Education and Communication Campaigns (IEC). Majority of these campaigns are hosted by electric cooperatives with their member-consumers as audience, the DOE said. As part of these campaigns, they presented the energy efficiency ratio (EER) for air-conditioners where a higher EER has a more efficient Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is expected to sign and implement next month the revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Small Scale Mining Act of 1991 which would enable the department to formalize the operations of small scale miners. Mines and Geosciences Bureau Leo Jasareno said the DENR, with the help of the bureau, is now putting the “finishing touches” on the revised IRR. “We would only be able to implement reforms once the guidelines are in place, Jasareno told reporters on the sidelines of the recently-concluded Mining Philippines 2014 Conference and Exhibition. The revised IRR aims to level the playing field in the local extractive industry by giving small- scale miners access to sites that were only previously opened to large-scale mining operations if they can conform to stricter regulations imposed by the government. This is because indiscriminate small-scale mining activities cause damage to the environment and deprive the government of revenues from operations. Among the salient features of the revised IRR is the provision for the declaration of more areas as Minahang Bayan, or concession areas where small-scale mining activities would be restricted. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Small miners can thus organize themselves into cooperatives and apply for the establishment of new Minahang Bayan sites. The applications would be reviewed by the existing provincial mining regulatory board and would be submitted to the office of the DENR Secretary for approval. In the past, permits for Read More …