"The solar facility is switched on!" in picture are from left, DBM Undersecretary Richard Bon Moya, GPPB-TSO Exec. Director Dennis Santiago, PS-PhilGEPS Executive Director Jose Tomas C. Syquia, DBM Secretary Florencio B. Abad, Propmech Managing Director Helen O. Tong and sports personality Mr. Chris Tiu.
The PS-PhilGEPS of the Department of Budget and Management had its formal ceremonial switch-on for the 51.3 kWp Grid-Tied Solar PV Power Plant on June 4, 2015 at Paco, Manila.
The launch was led by Department of Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad and witnessed by Office of the President Undersecretary Abigail Valte, PNOC-RC President Carlos Jose Gatmaitan, Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Richard E. Moya, Atty. Jose Tomas C. Syquia Executive Director of PS-PhilGEPS, GPPB-TSO Executive Director Dennis Santiago and Propmech Managing Director Helen O. Tong.
PS-PhilGEPS becomes the first national government office that is harnessing solar power using the 171 Solar PV arrays mounted in the rooftop and lamp posts within the office premises of the PS-PhilGEPS. The installation of Solar Power PV was of no cost to the agency with a purchase price for only Php9.50 multiplied by per kWh of the total solar energy consumption for the month.
“We are now able to announce to all of you fellow public servants in the government and friends from the media, that PS-PhilGEPS is now the first government office that is deriving at least 20 to 30% of its energy consumption from solar. And that as a government agency, we are now contributing to the avoidance of at least 31,000 tons of greenhouse gases from being introduced to the atmosphere.” Executive Director Syquia highlighted during his welcome address at the launch.
“I think this step, undertaken by PS-PhilGEPS, is hopefully the beginning of a shift in perspective by government agencies and a call to action to actively participate in addressing the issue of climate change in the country”, Secretary Abad mentioned in his keynote message.
Propmech Corporation entered into a service agreement with PS-PhilGEPS for the installation of the solar power system without any installation cost and commits to continuously maintain the system for the duration of 15 years. At the end of the contract period, PS-PhilGEPS has the option to purchase the solar system for the price of one peso. Aside from PS-PhilGEPS, Philippine academic institutions like Manuel L. Quezon University, Mapua Institute of Science and Technology and La Consolacion College-Manila; organizations such as Asian Development Bank and even MERALCO Solar PV Center have tapped Propmech for their solar power systems.