A Japanese solar energy systems firm is seeing the Philippines’ demand for solar power rising in an attempt to cut down energy costs.
For Sustena Inc.’s general manager, Masayuki Aoki, the country’s demand for solar power systems is increasing as companies are looking to cut down their energy costs.
This is because of the country’s high energy costs.
“Aside from cutting down energy costs, it’s also a long-term investment for companies,” he said in an interview with The Freeman.
Aoki is seeing an increase of establishments installed with solar panels to generate their own electricity.
In previous reports, the Department of Energy expressed the need in forming a balanced energy policy that involves both fossil and renewable energy sources.
“We will chart our own course in so far as energy is concerned to ensure energy supply security considering that developing countries like the Philippines have low carbon emissions,” he said.
This follows President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that he would not honor the Paris Agreement, where the Philippines pledged to reduce its carbon emissions, saying that it limits the growth of developing countries.
“While we signed the Paris agreement last year committing ourselves to limit our carbon emissions, we cannot ignore the fact that our level of economic development at this point does not allow us to rely completely on renewable energy sources or clean energy,” the energy secretary said.
Coal remains to be the biggest contributor to the country’s energy mix.