𝐍𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝟑𝟎,𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 “𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬”

The National Power Corporation (Napocor) implements a European Union (EU)-funded project under the Access to Sustainable Energy in the Philippines Programme (ASEP), a joint undertaking of the EU and the Department of Energy that aims to give the poor access to affordable, clean, and disaster-resilient energy systems.

Napocor said that it recently awarded the supply and delivery of 30,500 units of Solar Home System (SHS) to Trademaster Resources Corporation. The units will be distributed to six electric cooperatives (EC) in Mindanao region such as First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Fibeco), Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Buseco), Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Sukelco), Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Dasureco), South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Socoteco II), and Cotabato Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Cotelco). The coops will in turn provide the units to households without access to electricity, such as those located in far-flung sitios that cannot be immediately reached by power distribution lines.
Project head Rommel U. Mamangun of Napocor said that the provision of SHS under the Photovoltaic Mainstreaming program is administered by the World Bank and financed through the EU's 3.8-billion peso assistance to the Philippine energy sector.
“These SHS units will help our six coops provide electricity to 30,500 households using clean and renewable energy. The system is prepaid and household beneficiaries may purchase load credits from their respective electric cooperatives,” Mamangun said.
Mr. Christoph Wagner, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the EU to the Philippines says that, “this local action supports vulnerable and isolated communities in a sustainable manner. EU is proud to finance this initiative that will provide clean power, with a direct impact on livelihoods and education of many Filipinos.”
Each SHS package includes a 50 Wp solar panel, charge controller with lithium-ion batteries, which can power 4 LED bulbs, a radio, a torch light and 5V DC USB ports to charge mobile phones.
On top of this, Napocor will also facilitate other projects for ASEP including the Rural Network Solar , which will install a 1MWp solar farm in each of the seven participating ECs in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; and the Prepaid Metering Pilot which will install, monitor, and evaluate 1,000 prepaid meters in an electric coop franchise in Mindanao.
Napocor President and CEO Pio J. Benavidez said that the corporation is honored to have been tapped for the projects.
“It is an added work, yes. But more importantly, it fast-tracks our efforts towards the country's total electrification at the household level. In fact, Napocor will also implement its own SHS projects in far-flung areas,” Benavidez said.