Advent Upgrade Solar Inc. (AUSI), a joint venture between Aboitiz Power Distributed Renewables, Inc. (APx) and Upgrade Energy Philippines (UGEP), has installed a 793.6-kilowatt-peak (kWp) rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the manufacturing facility of Marcel FoodSciences, Inc. in Sibonga, Cebu.

The project expands the adoption of distributed solar among industrial energy users in the region.

AUSI said the rooftop solar system will help power the food manufacturer’s operations through on-site renewable energy generation, reducing reliance on grid electricity while supporting the company’s sustainability goals.

The rooftop solar installation uses more than 1,000 panels and is expected to generate nearly 1.4 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity during its first year of operation.

For Marcel FoodSciences, the project is expected to improve operational efficiency while aligning with the company’s corporate values.

“This partnership with AUSI enables us to operate more efficiently while upholding our core values of honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, and compliance,” said Marcel FoodSciences Vice President for Operations Melvin Tan.

Marcel FoodSciences is a family-owned Philippine company with over five decades of experience producing and exporting seaweed, carrageenan, and carrageenan-based functional systems for food, pet food, and industrial applications.

Tan said the company prioritizes customer satisfaction by delivering high-quality carrageenan products tailored to specific requirements.

On the energy provider side, AdventEnergy—an AboitizPower retail electricity supply unit—said the solar project builds on an existing relationship with the manufacturer.

According to AdventEnergy Vice President for Retail Sales and Services Catherine Del Villar-Pasilaban, the company has served as Marcel FoodSciences’ retail electricity supplier for six years before expanding the partnership into solar.

“Deepening this relationship to include rooftop solar reflects our shared belief that local resources – from seaweed harvested in Philippine waters to the solar energy overhead – hold the power to drive real economic growth, create lasting livelihoods, and move our industries toward a cleaner, more self-sufficient future,” she said.

AUSI develops and operates distributed solar solutions for commercial and industrial customers, a segment seen as a growing market in the Philippines as companies seek to reduce electricity costs and improve sustainability profiles through on-site renewable energy systems.

APx, the AboitizPower unit that owns a 50% stake in AUSI, focuses on distributed renewable energy projects serving large commercial and industrial consumers.

How significant could distributed solar become for the country’s industrial energy demand in the coming years?

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