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BACOLOD CITY – The provincial government has signed an agreement with WeGen Energy Philippines Inc. for the installation of a 1,270 kilowatt-hour (kwh) rooftop solar project across key facilities in Negros Occidental.
NEGROS Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (seated center) and WeGen vice president for sales and operations Orlando Alparce Jr. (seated second from right) sign a solar power deal at the Governor’s Office at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Monday, April 28. (Photo via Capitol PIO)
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and WeGen vice president for sales and operations Orlando Alparce Jr. signed the agreement at the Governor’s Office at the Provincial Capitol here on Monday, April 28.
The initiative is expected to generate savings of P404.5 million in the next 25 years.
With WeGen setting up solar panels on the rooftops, the provincial government will be paying only P6.80 per kwh, which means savings of almost P8 per kwh compared to current rates.
“This is a first for the provincial government, and we’re excited to see this project through,” Lacson said.
Under the agreement, solar panels will be installed at the Provincial Capitol, Negros First Cyber Centre, Negros Residences, Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros (FTMON), and provincial hospitals in Kabankalan and Himamaylan cities.
This effort is part of SecuRE Negros, a provincial roadmap to renewable energy development, aligning with national directives requiring government entities to source at least 20 percent of their energy from renewables.
The project is projected to provide 40 percent of the power needs of the participating government facilities, with an annual energy yield of 1.69 million kWh, equivalent to powering 5,318 homes yearly.
It also aims to avoid 25,521 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equal to planting over 421,000 trees, and reduces the need for nearly 2.5 million gallons of diesel or over 28 million pounds of coal.
Alparce thanked the provincial government for the partnership.
“This is a partnership that we value because you are among the first to move from traditional fossil fuels to clean and green energy,” he said.
He said that this partnership delivers not only cost savings but also substantial environmental and community benefits.
