UNDERSTANDING KEY TO EMBRACING SOLAR

There are still many things to understand about rooftop solar technology in spite of its growing popularity

Amid the slew of solar panels available in the market, customers need to carefully evaluate their options and look for an experienced partner who can offer better solutions, an official of AboitizPower said.

“Customers need to know when they’re going to buy solar, how they’re going to buy it, and whom they’re going to do it with. It is important to find partners who can guide them through the transition,” Jose Rafael Mendoza, general manager of AboitizPower’s newly formed business unit, Aboitiz Power Distributed Energy Inc. (APX) said during the Mindanao Business Conference in Tagum City on September 14.

Mendoza said the interest in solar-related technologies could be due to the growing awareness on sustainability and care for the environment, which was brought about by the fair share of natural disasters the Philippines has experienced in recent years.

He said the cost of solar panels could become cheaper in the future, making the technology more accessible to those who are interested.

Under the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) scheme, power customers consuming an average of one megawatt and up can voluntarily look for their own retail electricity suppliers and can customize their contracts according to dispatch, technology, or power plant.

With the power to choose, he added consumers should select their partners wisely as well as make sure they have the track record and will be able to provide long-term support.

“We’re promoting having a holistic view of how solar affects a customer’s energy requirements and costs. As we await RCOA’s implementation here, we’re working closely with our local utility teams to fully understand how we can offer this in Mindanao,” Mendoza said.

Aimed at further expanding the company’s already significant renewable energy portfolio, AboitizPower announced its entry into the rooftop solar space through APX in April this year. /

Customers need to know when they’re going to buy solar, how they’re going to buy it, and whom they’re going to do it with JOSE RAFAEL MENDOZA General Manager, Aboitiz Power Distributed Energy Inc. (APX)