Experts meet in solar forum

By Jose B. Perez NAGA CITY --- Experts from as far as the US, Britain and China were the main speakers during the Solar Energy Forum held yesterday (July 16) morning until afternoon at the La Piazza, Avenue Plaza Hotel as one of the highlight activities of the ongoing Bicol Business Month 2017. Each of them came with their solar projects and business model presentations. Also on hand during the forum was former Camarines Sur Governor and Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte who discussed about legislative measure to promote renewable energy while Naga City Mayor John G. Bongat who served as keynote speaker presented Naga City’s program to promote renewable energy. Event chair and MNCCI Director Alfredo I. Perdon, served as moderator during the forum and panel discussion. Among the resource speakers were Brandon Wesley Carter, CEO of USA-based Sol Invictus; Weishi He of JA Solar Holdings based in Beijing, China, and; Nigel Coates of the UK-based Pavilion Investment Management. Representatives from National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, Wegen Philippines, Solar Grid Alternatives, and Phoenix Solar also presented their projects and business models during the well-attended whole-day forum. Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination of both. It is considered to be the cleanest and most abundant source of energy power. Solar Grid Philippines started in 2015 with the goal of being the No. 1 renewable energy provider in the Philippines. It offers everything from the design and installation of solar energy systems, to after sales services and system maintenance. It has installed solar systems from homes to local businesses of top companies. WeGen Philippines, for its part, is a next generation energy-tech business that uses rapidly advancing renewable energy, battery storage, and software technologies to develop energy solutions for a range of applications – from homes, schools, and small businesses to large industrial and commercial properties, resorts, and even entire islands. It is estimated that solar panels that convert solar energy into electricity for homes and businesses reduce power bills to as much as 70% during day time. Beijing-based JA Solar, with offices in various parts of the world, is a leading manufacturer of high-performance solar power products that convert sunlight into electricity for residential, commercial, and utility-scale power generation. Capitalizing on its strength in solar cell technology, the company is committed to provide modules with unparalleled conversion efficiency, yield efficiency, and reliability to enable customers maximize the returns of their PV projects. Also tackled in the forum was “financing program for renewable energy project” as presented by Pag-Ibig Fund, and the Business-to-Business Meeting between the presenters and the local investors and stakeholders. Perdon said exploring the potentials of solar energy is very timely for burgeoning cities and territories like Naga, the Province of Camarines Sur, and the whole Bicol Region because sourcing power from the sun is a lot cheaper, safer, cleaner, and friendlier to the environment. Dinner for the guests and MNCCI directors followed at The Carmen Boutique Hotel.