Philippine rooftop solar potential stagnant

The potential market for rooftop solar is placed at US$450 million annually but is almost completely untapped.

The estimate is based on the 50,000 households (or 10% of the half a million new residential builds yearly) that can install solar panels with a capacity of 2 kilowatts. The Philippines has a high solar irradiation of 1,900 kilowatts per square meter.

To produce a kilowatt of solar power from these rooftop panels, a homeowner needs to invest about $4,500 for the actual components and installation. This investment can be recovered in about seven years but the solar panels usually last for at least 25 years, said Theresa Cruz-Capellan, one of the founders of the Philippine Solar Power Alliance (PSPA).

“As we enter 2013, we would like to focus on the solar rooftops because we believe this is going to be a major initiative by the (solar) industry in providing solutions to our problems in the energy sector,” said Capellan.

“There are about half a million new residential projects that are going on stream every year. If only 10% of these can be convinced to put solar panels on their rooftops, that will be a big help to both the distribution utilities and power generation companies,” Capellan said.

German and Philippine solar technology developers are pushing for a massive rooftop solar installation in households, commercial establishments and buildings. Rooftop solar will also help reduce the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.

She said investors in solar energy were also in talks with real estate developers and the Climate Change Commission for the possible inclusion of rooftop solar panels in housing projects within “ecotowns.”