The Feasibility of Solar Energy to be
Further Utilized in the Philippines
A Research Paper
Presented to
Ms. Maria Hannah V. Martin
Department of English and Applied Linguistics
Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education
De La Salle University
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for
ENGLRES
1st Trimester, AY (2014-2015)
By
Alexandra Nicole P. Agorrilla
Dongwon Lee
August 27, 2014
Thesis Statement : Solar energy could be further utilized in the Philippines by
increasing public availability, funding from the government, and expanding further
research.
I.
All throughout human history, energy resources have been crucial for human
survival.
A. The Industrial Revolution of 18th century catalyzed the exploitation of
fossil fuels such as coal, oil, petroleum, and natural gas as primary energy
resources.
B. In the Philippines, the threat on energy shortage is addressed through
rotational brownouts without considering its potential for solar energy
utilization since it is a tropical country.
II.
The public availability of solar energy should be increased so its significance
can be widely recognized in the Philippines.
A. A plausible way of doing so is to raise solar energy production by using
different technologies.
B. The installation of solar panels on public infrastructures like buildings
and roads dispenses a widespread access to solar energy.
III.
To accelerate the utilization of solar energy, the Philippine government should
provide legal and monetary support to solar energy policies and projects.
A. There should be modification and specification of energy policies such
that the Republic Act No. 9513 could be promulgated effectively.
B. The government should be the principal financial benefactor of solar
energy ventures.
IV.
As the cornerstone of any enterprise, research on solar energy should be
strengthened in the Philippines to actualize the purpose of utilization.
A. The establishment of research facilities is necessary to assist
further study on solar energy conveniently.
B. Reinforcing the human resource for solar energy R&D necessitates
educating students about this field.
V.
To establish solar energy as one of the major sources of energy in the
country is highly probable based on the studies and interview conducted by
the researchers.
A. Greater accessibility, adequate government assistance, and empowered
research are the key solutions to further utilize solar energy in the country.
B. Henceforth, solar energy should be completely developed first to be
utilized and officially accepted as a fundamental energy resource in the
Philippines.
All throughout human history, energy resources have been crucial for human
survival. In the prehistoric era, the discovery of fire was a remarkable turning point.
From then on, ancient humans manually used fire as an energy resource to cook food
and warm their bodies during inclement weather. Along with the rise of civilizations,
energy resources progressed in a multitude of practices. The Industrial Revolution of
18th century catalyzed the exploitation of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, petroleum, and
natural gas as primary energy resources. They powered a vast array of machines like
the steam engine, cotton gin, oil lamp, airplane, etc. This productive phenomenon led to
the proliferation of highly-developed societies. Conversely, the seemingly inexhaustible
fossil fuels are not sustainable after all. According to Anilkumar (2013), the most
consumed fossil fuels will be depleted soon and people have to compensate this with
avenues of alternative energy production and supplementation. In the Philippines, the
threat on energy shortage is addressed through rotational brownouts without
considering its potential for solar energy utilization since it is a tropical country.
Anilkumar (2013) said that of all sources of energy, sun is the most regular and
dependable which people can bank on for all range of uses from making an electric light
work to running an automobile. For these reasons, the researchers propose an
enhanced incorporation of solar energy module in the country. Solar energy could be
further utilized in the Philippines by increasing public availability, funding from the
government, and expanding further research.
The public availability of solar energy should be increased so its significance
could be widely recognized in the Philippines. A plausible way of doing so is to raise
solar energy production by using different technologies. On the contrary, one of the
greatest hindrances in fully recognizing the potential of solar energy is its expensive
cost. According to Hahn (2008), conventional power costs about 2-4 $-cent/kWh while
solar power costs 22-44 $-cent/kWh. This price was acceptable for space satellites but
unrealistic for home-based electricity. However, based on the learning curve concept,
the greater the production, the lesser the price (Lynn, 2010). This concept can be
explicitly manifested by the manufacturing experiences of price drop between 10% to
30% brought by the doubling of production. On the contrary, another conflict arises if
manufacturers would risk producing materials for solar energy technology with high cost
of production at the beginning. Actually, the period of cost reduction in photovoltaic
technology alone is much shorter compared to the decades required for steel or electric
motors. As a result, raising the production of solar energy will lead to lowering its cost
which will increase its chances to be officially accepted in terrestrial electricity
production in the country.
In the second volume of the book “Alternative Energy”, Schlager & Weisblatt
(2006) extensively categorized and elucidated various solar energy technologies which
can be applied in the Philippine setting. Modern solar technologies can be divided into
passive solar systems and active solar systems. Passive solar systems implore the
principle of operational simplicity, in which the primary concern is the architectural
design of homes and buildings relative to natural sunlight. Examples of passive solar
systems are passive solar design, daylighting, and transpired solar collector.
Meanwhile, active solar systems are more sophisticated and modern as they employ
machineries such as engines, turbines, generators, pumps, etc. Passive solar design
entails the orientation of the building to filter the amount of sunlight coming through.
Basically, there are five types of passive solar design systems, namely, direct gain,
thermal storage, solar greenhouse, roof pond, and convective loop. For tropical
countries like the Philippines, a roof overhang is an essential facet of passive solar
building design. This particular design enables sunlight to warm the building even in
cloudy weather or rainy season while it keeps the building cool during summer. Another
passive solar design concept to ease the inordinate summer heat in the country is via
landscaping or planting trees, shrubs, and other kinds of plants around the building
because they provide shade. Aside from these, daylighting emerged as an independent
form of passive solar design. Daylighting or passive lighting requires sunlight to brighten
the inside of the building as a substitute to electricity-generated bulbs or lamps.
Relatively, daylighting concentrates on the way windows are constructed because they
are the medium for sunlight passage. In the countries located at the Northern
Hemisphere, large, south-facing windows are appropriate for daylighting because the
sun’s rays are directed towards the Southern Hemisphere. Directly located below the
equator, the Philippines receives sufficient amount of sunlight. Thus, large windows for
daylighting could be placed facing eastward as the sun is at its peak in that position. In
fact, daylighting windows or clerestory windows (“a row of windows located at the top of
a wall, near the roof”) (Schlager & Weisblatt, 2006, p. 226) are already perceptible in
churches and museums. On the other hand, a transpired solar collector or Solarwall is a
dark-colored, corrugated, and perforated metal installed on the outside of the building
wall. It functions both in heating the air for ventilation in the building and cooling the
building by taking the hot air back outside during summertime. Additionally, Gehrke
(2009) featured do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) solar projects for homeowners, specifically solar
heat collectors. In general, passive solar systems are home-based, environment-friendly
methods that reduce electrical bills in terms of lighting and heating. As the name
implies, solar water heating systems function to heat water by solar radiation absorbed
by a collector. This could be either passive or active solar systems. Nonetheless, there
are six types of solar water heating systems, namely, direct systems, indirect systems,
thermosyphons, draindown or drainback systems, integrated collector storage (ICS)
systems, and swimming pool systems. It can be inferred from Schlager & Wesblatt
(2006) that the most applicable solar water heating systems in the Philippines are the
direct systems and thermosyphons because they are both suitable for countries with
temperatures always above freezing. Direct systems circulate water from the home into
a water storage via a pump while thermosyphons employ an insulated storage tank that
is attached above the solar collector. Among these solar technologies, the foremost and
most renowned and established is the photovoltaic (PV) technology. It consists of solar
cells which convert photon energy from sunlight into electrons that are stored in the
electrical grid (Gehrke, 2009). At present, solar cells made up of monocrystalline silicon
wafers are recognized as standard and held up to 20% efficiency (Wengenmayr, 2008).
However, this material is not cost-effective since the process of sawing wafers from
blocks or ingots generates heavy material wastes. In lieu of this, solar energy pioneers
discovered cheaper materials for solar cells, such as ribbon silicon and CIS thin-film.
Ribbon silicons are “…crystalline wafers which are pulled directly from the melt…”
(Hahn, 2008, p. 44) and are categorized in terms of the meniscus formed by the silicon
(Si) melt. They can save up to 40% of cost production and have efficiency up to 18%.
Based on Meyer (2008), CIS or copper indium disulfide (CuInS2) thin-film is an excellent
absorber of sunlight, in other words a direct semiconductor. It is approximately 50%
cheaper than the current Si solar cells and has efficiency up to 10%. Another fascinating
active solar system is collectively known as concentrated solar power systems or solar
thermal systems composed of the following: dish systems and dish-engine system,
trough systems, solar ponds, solar towers, and solar furnaces (Schlager & Weisblatt,
2006). A dish system or distributed-point-focus system is so-called because of its dishshaped, parabolic mirrors or heliostats which reflect sunlight onto a receiver. Dish
system can also be a component of a dish-engine system. A dish-engine system
operates the same as a dish system but with an engine. It can also be modular or linked
together to yield a tremendous amount of electricity. For instance, 250 kilowatts (kW)
can be generated from ten 25-kW dish-engine systems. As the name suggests, a trough
system or line-focus collector features a trough-shaped, parabolic concentrator. Its
heliostats focus sunlight to a fluid, commonly dark oil, and the heat is transferred to
water. This water is converted into steam which runs a turbine-generator to produce
electricity. Like dish systems, trough systems are also modular. Due to their enormous
sizes, both dish systems and trough systems should be situated in Philippine provinces
with massive land availability and not in the National Capital Region (NCR) because it is
congested by human population. On one hand, a solar pond is a man-controlled water
form which can be classified as convecting (salt-gradient pond and membrane pond)
and nonconvecting (shallow solar pond and deep, saltless pond). Convecting solar
ponds entail the extraction of heat by a heat exchanger from the bottom which is the
most saturated layer. Yet, nonconvecting solar ponds are not recommendable because
they are prone to heat loss. Solar ponds are the most versatile solar technology
because they can be used in water desalination, brine shrimp farming, cheap salt
source, etc. The solar pond concept can be applied in tropical countries with deep
oceans like the Philippines through ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC).
Meanwhile, a solar tower or power tower, central receiver, or heliostat mirror power
plant includes a range of flat, movable heliostats which focus sunlight to a receiver on
top of a sky-high, central tower. Unfortunately, this solar technology is not yet
reasonable for the country’s economic status due to its extortionate cost. In fact,
California invested US$ 150 million for a solar tower project which only lasted for 3
years (1996-1999) while Australia planned an ambitious US$ 720 million solar tower
project in early 2000’s. The mechanism of a solar tower is likened to that of a solar
furnace. The only distinguishable attribute is a solar furnace has the capability to
generate heat at extremely high temperatures (e.g. 59,432⁰F or 33,000⁰C). In brief,
active solar systems are meant for residential, commercial, and industrial use. Hence,
diversifying the options for solar energy technologies is necessary to be compatible with
the atmospheric, geographic, and economic conditions of the Philippines.
The installation of solar panels on public infrastructures like buildings and roads
dispenses a widespread access to solar energy. A solar panel is a board of solar cells
that absorbs sunlight and converts it to energy. It can be manipulated to generate and
supply electricity in residential and commercial usage (Botti & Vidal, 2013). For the
buildings, a solar panel could be installed at the rooftop or on the face of the exterior
wall. For the roads, it could be installed at the aisle or on the sidewalk. Conforming to
Dayem, Metwally, & Marzouk (2013), this proposition is viable given the expertise on
how a solar panel operates.
To accelerate the utilization of solar energy, the Philippine government should
provide legal and monetary support to solar energy policies and projects. There should
be modification and specification of energy policies such that the Republic Act No. 9513
could be promulgated effectively. R.A. 9513, otherwise known as the Renewable Act of
2008, is “an act promoting the development, utilization, and commercialization of
renewable energy resources (comprised of biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal,
ocean energy, etc.) and for other purposes” (Department of Energy, 2014, p. 1). This
Act is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2046 and House Bill No. 41935 which was
finally approved in December 16, 2008 by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at
that time. It is a product of the growing awareness on climate change mitigation
movements in a global scale and the local prevalence of this phenomenon in the form of
intermittent weather conditions. The Renewable Act of 2008 constitutes the following:
designation of the Department of Energy (DOE) as the lead agency for implementation
(Chapter II, Section 5), determination of on-grid and off-grid renewable energy
developers (Chapter III, Sections 6-11 and Chapter IV, Section 12, respectively),
general incentives to renewable energy developers such as income tax holiday (ITH),
duty-free importation of machineries, incentives for farmers engaged in the plantation of
biomass resources, etc. (Chapter VII, Sections 15-26), the formation of the National
Renewable Energy Board (NREB), its stakeholders and their assignments, that
facilitates the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) (Chapter VIII, Section 27),
and the retributions in breach of this Act (Chapter IX, Section 35). Accordingly, the
journal by Taguibao (2012) would be the basis of this law review because it served as a
case study on the gaps of renewable energy development vis-à-vis the enactment of
R.A. 9513. First, the allocated budget for renewable energy research and development
(R&D) is barely enough to suffice the provisions of this Act. This issue will be elaborated
later on. Second, renewable energy technologies (RETs) are limited and obsolete. To
address this, the government resorts to massive importation of equipments the same as
how the Philippines depend on fossil fuel rich countries. Consequently, manufacturers,
distributors, and end-users bear its exorbitant cost-burden. Third, the absence of an
organized and innovative technological policy averts the effectuation of the Act’s goals.
Finally, the government faces the impediments on regulating the expenditures of RETs
along with the transactions between private sectors and investors. Thus, the
government should consider amending and particularizing the inconsistencies in its
existing policies like the Renewable Act of 2008 to actualize these appropriately.
The researchers also scrutinized the ambiguities in R.A. 9513 in the levels of
citizens without specialty in the disciplines of law and engineering. First, this Act solely
concentrated on the development and utilization of renewable energy, despite including
commercialization at its forefront. Commercialization is not limited to mandating the
Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) players to accommodate renewable energy.
Commercialization should literally involve media as an instrument to inform the masses
that this kind of law exists for their benefit. Second, the not less than 12 years target for
ascertaining the fixed tariff to be paid for each kind of renewable energy (Chapter III,
Section 7.c) is a manifestation of obscurity. It implies that this task can be completed
after 12 or 27 or 50 up to infinite number of years. Instead, this Act should have
identified the maximum target year, like not more than 12 years. Another form of
obscurity is the compliance of off-grid renewable energy developers to Chapter III,
Section 6 even though there are no viable renewable energy resources in that area
(Chapter IV, Section 12). Chapter III, Section 6 states that “All stakeholders in the
electric power industry shall contribute to the growth of the renewable energy industry of
the country,” (Department of Energy, 2014, p. 4). Therefore, how can they fulfill this
directive if they do not have the resources? Lastly, the government share of 1% in
renewable energy projects (Chapter V, Section 13) and 1.5% funding each from
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Philippine Amusement and Gaming
Corporation (PAGCOR), Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), fines enforced under
this Act, and others in the Renewable Energy Trust Fund (RETF) (Chapter VIII, Section
28) are clear testimonies of deficient monetary allotment for renewable energy
development, utilization, and commercialization in the Philippines.
The government should be the principal financial benefactor of solar energy
ventures. Science and technology (S&T), including solar energy, require a substantial
amount of money to function well. Definitely, private institutions could not solely
shoulder the expenses so the government’s aid is profoundly needed. Besides the
pecuniary aspect, government support could be a motivation for experts, scientists, and
engineers to be determined with their work on solar energy development. Moreover,
government support could be an attraction for local and foreign investors.
As the cornerstone of any enterprise, research on solar energy should be
strengthened in the Philippines to actualize the purpose of utilization. The establishment
of research facilities is necessary to assist further study on solar energy conveniently.
As noted earlier, Taguibao (2012) proved the insufficiency of the government’s funding
on R&D. In 2009, the overall allocation for R&D was Php 19,858,000,000 which was
1.4% of the 1,415,000,000,000 annual national budget. Engr. Hwang (personal
communication, August 1, 2014) believes that building research centers should be
prioritized first before discussing solar energy utilization. Despite of this, there are still
few research facilities on solar energy sponsored by private sectors, usually from the
academic community, such as University of the Philippines’ (UP) National Institute of
Physics (NIP) and Ateneo De Manila University’s (ADMU) Ateneo Innovation Center
(AIC). UP NIP has a thin-film solar technology capability whereas ADMU AIC has a
solar panel project which drives dehumidifiers to generate high-purity water (Posadas,
2008). Aside from its internationally acclaimed solar cars (SINAG, SIKAT I, and SIKAT
II), De La Salle University (DLSU) also partake in this endeavor, as a research
institution, through its Solar Energy Center (SEC). Based on De La Salle University
(2012), the SEC is under the Center for Engineering and Sustainable Development
Research (CESDR) of Gokongwei College of Engineering (GCOE) which aims to
promote the discoveries on solar energy applications and the engagement of student
and faculty researchers. Although there is a vital figure of existing solar energy research
facilities in a scholastic level, there should be more effort to propagate this area,
especially from the Philippine government, in a nationwide level.
Reinforcing the human resource for solar energy R&D necessitates educating
students about this field. In line with this, the researchers suggest the emphasized
curriculum for renewable energy (e.g. solar energy) in primary and secondary level and
a course offering in tertiary level. In addition, creating a solar energy-related course
would be a plausible idea in the future and this would increase the vigilance of the youth
on energy problems and alternative solutions (Engr. J. Y. Hwang, personal
communication, August 1, 2014). In the country, there are minimal sectors dedicated for
solar energy education like the Central Luzon State University (CLSU). Based on CLSU
Open University (n.d.), this school offers a 40-unit course on Master in Renewable
Energy Systems for teachers, researchers, and planners. Nonetheless, solar energy
education for the youth should be stipulated in the country.
The exploitation of energy resources, like fossil fuels, has been an indispensable
tool for societal development. However, fossil fuels are not sustainable and have
detrimental environmental impacts globally. With the emerging threats to energy
depletion in the Philippine society nowadays, people tend to seek alternative solutions
without pondering on renewable energy utilization, especially solar energy. To establish
solar energy as one of the major sources of energy in the country is highly probable
based on the studies and interview conducted by the researchers. Greater accessibility,
adequate government assistance, and empowered research are the key solutions to
further utilize solar energy in the country. Indeed, solar energy is the most suitable type
of renewable energy in the Philippine setting. To supplement this research, it is
suggested to focus on the benefits and drawbacks of solar energy in comparison and
contrast to conventional energy and other kinds of alternative energy. Henceforth, solar
energy should be completely developed first to be utilized and officially accepted as a
fundamental energy resource in the Philippines.
References
Anilkumar, P. (2013). Effective and passive utilization of solar energy for energy efficient
buildings: An application perspective. International Journal of Emerging
Technology and Advanced Engineering, 3(3), 311-315. Retrieved from www.
ijetae.com/files/Conference%20ICERTSD-2013/IJETAE_ICERTSD_0213_48.pdf
Botti S., & Vidal J. (2013). Energy generation: Solar energy. In A. Walsh, A. A. Sokol &
C. R. A. Catlow (Eds.). Computational Approaches to Energy Materials, vol.1
(pp.29-69). France: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
CLSU Open University. (n.d.). Master in renewable energy systems. Retrieved from
http://www.openuni-clsu.edu.ph/openfiles/mresystems.html
Dayem, A., Metwally,N., & Marzouk, A. (2013, February) Potential of solar thermal
energy utilization in electrical generation. Paper presented at the 2nd International
Conference on Energy Systems and Technologies, Umm Al-Qura University,
Cairo, Egypt. Retrieved from http://www.afaqscientific.com/icest
2013/19-Abdel-Dayem123.pdf
De La Salle University. (2012). Solar energy center (SEC). Retrieved from www.dlsu.
.edu.ph/research/centers/cesdr/sec.asp
Department of Energy. (2014). Republic act no. 9513. Retrieved from https://www.doe.
gov.ph/issuances/republic-act/627-ra-9513
Gehrke, R. (2009). Renewable energies for your home. United States of America: The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Hahn, G. (2008). New materials for photovoltaic energy conversion: solar cells from
ribbon silicon. In R. Wengenmayr & T. Bϋhrke (Eds.). Renewable energy:
sustainable energy concepts for the future, vol. 1 (pp. 42-49). Weinheim:
WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.
Lynn, P. A. (2010). Electricity from sunlight: an introduction to photovoltaics. West
Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Meyer, N. (2008). CIS thin-film solar cells: photovoltaic cells on glass. In R.
Wengenmayr & T. Bϋhrke (Eds.). Renewable energy: sustainable energy
concepts for the future, vol. 1 (pp. 50-53). Weinheim: WILEY-VCH Verlag
GmbH & Co.
Posadas, D. (2008). How the Philippines can be a solar power. Retrieved from www.
businessweek.com/stories/2008-10-10/how-the-philippines-can-be-a-solarpowerbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice
Schlager, N., & Weisblatt, J. (Eds.). (2006). Alternative energy, volume 2.
Pensylvannia: UXL
Taguibao, J. G. (2012). Responses and issues on renewable energy development in the
Philippines: the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. Pandiwa online journal, 1(1),
20-33. Retrieved from http://cas.upm.edu.ph/journals/index.php/pandiwa/
article/view/19/35
Wengenmayr, R. (2008). Photovoltaic energy conversion: solar cells-an overview. In R.
Wengenmayr & T. Bϋhrke (Eds.). Renewable energy: sustainable energy
concepts for the future, vol. 1 (pp. 34-40). Weinheim: WILEY-VCH Verlag
GmbH & Co.
Appendix A
Interview Questionnaire
1. What do you think about the development status of solar energy
utilization?
→ Global development of solar energy is a moderately-advanced field. But
still, this field must be more developed if we want to utilize this.
Meanwhile, Philippines’ development status of solar energy is very poor
and utilization is just a dream for now.
2. Do you think that usage of solar energy could be more promoted in the
country today?
-If yes, in what way?
-If no, why?
→ Yes. If it become possible to utilize solar energy all over the country, it
will make our country an ‘energy advanced country’ but since it is
impossible for now, we have to focus on how to develop solar energy
rather than utilization.
3. How could solar energy be utilized in the urban areas given the fact that it
is used mostly in the rural areas?
→ Solar energy can be utilized in both urban and rural areas because
sunlight goes anywhere. Of course it is much harder and takes time to
utilize solar energy in rural areas since infrastructure is not that
developed. However, once solar energy can be utilized in urban areas, it
is a matter of time to utilize solar energy in rural areas.
4. Specifically, in what way solar energy can be utilized in public places of
urban areas?
→ For example, building. We can attach a solar panel to the outer wall
side of building. Also, we can set-up a solar panel to the road. And also on
the roof top of houses. Or it is also possible to build a ‘solar energy power
plant’. The usage of solar energy is infinitude.
5. Does the government support or fund the usage of renewable energy like
solar energy?
-If yes, in what way and how much is the budget?
-If no, is there a possibility that government will support or fund this?
→ The Philippine government made an act that support renewable energy
in 2008 but in substance, the Philippine government does not support any
of renewable energy as what I know. As we all know, Bataan Nuclear
Power Plant also did not working for 30 years because of political reasons.
Then how do we expect government to support renewable energy?
6. Are you aware of the Renewable Act of 2008 (RA 9513) in the
Philippines?
→ Yes. It is all about the supporting details to renewable energy research
but it is not helpful.
7. Is there enough solar energy research facilities in the Philippines?
→ No. That is the real problem. Before we talk about utilization, we have
to build research centers first.
8. Do you consider having a course offering on renewable energy (e.g. solar
energy) for engineering or physics students?
→ I strongly agree on this. Young doctors and intellectuals are our most
important assets. So if university offers renewable energy-related course,
it would be more helpful than government’s financial support.
9. How long will it take to fully utilize solar energy in public places of urban
areas if there is support from the government and experts?
→ If we can accept foreign technology, approximately 10 to 15 years will
take if the government gives focus to this project and if we have human
resources. If not, it will take more than 30 years or never happens.
10. Do you think that utilization of solar energy can solve energy problems?
-If yes, how?
-If no, what other conditions should have adequated?
→ Yes, it can, if and only if the technology about solar energy is highly
developed. But for now, solar energy can generate only 5%-10% of daily
energy. This is the limitation for now. But the technology will be advanced
and we have other renewable energy which is environment-friendly and
safe. There is a possibility to reduce fossil fuel consumption and finally
energy would be not a necessary problem.