The installation of a 50-kilowatt (kW) on-grid solar energy system at the office of a church-based credit cooperative here could be the first step to the switch to renewable energy for cost savings and a cleaner community in the province of Bulacan.

The statement came from former chief justice Reynato S. Puno, chairman of GenWATT Energy Solutions, which installed the solar energy system on the building of the St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Cooperative (SMTCDC) that was inaugurated Saturday.

GenWATT chief executive officer, Wendell R. Tamayo, said the system, which has a 50-kW inverter with 40-kW solar panels installed on the building’s roof, could produce 180 kW to 200 kW of electricity on a normal sunny day, covering 60 percent to 80 percent of the building’s requirements during office hours.

“It has the potential to save PHP45,000 to PHP70,000 in electricity bills every month at a price of PHP11 per kilowatt hour. Over the 25-year guaranteed production efficiency of the solar panels, it is projected to generate 1,500 megawatts of electricity,” Tamayo said.

Chairperson of the SMTCDC, a credit union cooperative, Danilo D. Esteban agreed, saying the solar energy system could bring great savings to their cooperative.

Puno said the solar energy system would help address high electricity bills.

He expressed hope that other cooperatives and local government units would likewise start using renewable energy.

“This step being undertaken by St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Cooperative, is hopefully the beginning of a shift of other cooperatives here in Bulacan and also by other local government units to avail (of) renewable and sustainable energy sources,” Puno said in his keynote message.

GenWatt Energy Solutions is a Filipino company dedicated to renewable solar energy solutions. It specializes in the design, installation, commissioning, and after-sales services of solar energy systems for households and micro, small, and medium enterprises. (PNA)