Subic’s RE firm allows users to sell excess power

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Users of solar energy can now sell their excess load to the national grid after a solar power company inside this premier Freeport provided an option to let residents generate their own electricity.

A statement from the company Bandacorp Solar, Inc. (Bandasolar) said that the residents using solar power here and adjacent communities like Olongapo City, can sell their excess supply through the net-metering program. This includes installation of an on-site Renewable Energy (RE) facility, production of their own electricity and selling the excess.

According to officials, the firm provides environmentfriendly solar panels and costefficient light-emitting diode (LED) lamps to cut down on utility bills by up to 50 percent. The company is banking on the net-metering program to draw this advantage.

Net-metering allows power users to install wind or solar power stations not exceeding 100 kilowatts (kW) in capacity for their own use. The electricity that was not consumed is automatically fed to the Olongapo Electricity Distribution Company (OEDC) system where they are paid as “generation cost.”

The OEDC computes the amount of excess power fed to system and then deducts the total from the consumer’s next electricity bill, thus lowering the cost.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Wilma Eisma lauded the Subic company for its support in the government’s renewable energy program and for encouraging local households and businesses to play an active role in alternative energy production.

“This is what Subic is all about — innovation and public service,” Eisma said. “Bandasolar not only helps power consumers minimize the use of expensive conventional power energy fuels, and thus save on their power bills, it also helps protect the environment and preserve natural energy sources,” she added.