By Cielito M. Reganit
MANILA, Nov. 26 (PNA) — House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Wednesday said they are seriously considering the installation of solar panels at the House of Representatives to generate part of the Chamber’s energy requirements as the use of renewable energy sources is the direction that the Philippines is taking.
“Green energy is a terrific thing and the logical thing to do,” Belmonte said in a chance encounter with reporters at the sidelines of the meeting of House leaders with the Joint Foreign Chambers and Philippine business groups.
The House Speaker made the statements after personally attending the launching Monday of the largest solar rooftop installation in the Philippines at the SM City North EDSA’s multi-level parking building in Quezon City by President Benigno S. Aquino III.
The system is composed of 5,760 solar panels occupying 11,511 square meters of the SM building’s roof deck.
It is expected to power five percent of the mall’s daily energy consumption saving the mall an estimated P2 million a month.
Belmonte also urged other business establishment as well as government agencies to likewise seriously consider installing similar systems in their buildings not just to reduce dependence on fossil fuels – the main fuel for our power generators – but also of its positive impact to the environment.
“They should visit SM and see for themselves the system. I was assured that people could view it for free. I myself am considering of installing a solar panel system in my residence,” Belmonte said.
Besides being eco-friendly, he was assured that the system is also easily installed, which is about 6 to 10 months for the one like SM’s.
In the meantime, Belmonte said that he would meet with the House leadership on the matter in order to properly discuss the various issues in installing a similar system at the House of Representatives. (PNA)