The energy from the sun is free. At night, people pay for electricity so they can have light. So why not harvest the power from the sun and convert it into electricity at night? That’s what solar power is all about.
According to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (OEERE) of the US Department of Energy, there are two main types of solar energy technologies: photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP).
Most Filipinos are familiar with PV, which was discovered in 1839 by 19-year-old French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel. PV arrays usually involve solar panels, a collection of dozens or even hundreds of solar cells.
“When the sun shines onto a solar panel, energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel,” OEERE explains. “This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field in the cell, causing electricity to flow.”
The CSP systems, on the other hand, use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy and convert it to heat, which can then be used to produce electricity or stored for later use. It is used primarily in very large power plants.
The National Geographic said CSP plants were first developed in the 1980s. The largest facility in the world is a series of plants in Mojave Desert in the U.S. state of California. This Solar Energy Generating System generates more than 650 gigawatt-hours of electricity every year. Other large and effective plants have been developed in Spain and India.
“Solar is the most abundant energy source on the planet,” wrote Martina Igini of Earth.Org, adding that one huge advantage of the technology “is that just a tiny fraction of the sunlight we get every day can provide a huge amount of energy.”
Igini cited data provided by the US Department of Energy which said that “an hour and a half of sunlight that reaches the planet’s surface generates enough power to meet all of humanity’s energy consumption for an entire year.”
Another advantage of solar power is that it generates minimal greenhouse gas emissions. “Studies demonstrate that it has a considerably smaller carbon footprint than fossil fuels over its life cycle,” Igini pointed out. “Even though PV modules and other components are made of materials that are mined and processed and thus generate some levels of emissions, solar is still undoubtedly a carbon-smart energy source whose lifetime emissions are insignificant when compared to coal and natural gas.”
Some comparisons: A coal power plant releases on average 25 times more emissions than the ones produced by a solar power system. Similarly, a natural gas power plant, despite being less polluting than coal, still generates 10 times the amount of emissions generated by a solar array.
Solar power is a form of renewable energy source. “Renewable energy offers tremendous potential and combined with improvements in energy efficiency, could fuel the economy of the future,” said Janet Sawin, an expert on international energy and environmental policy at the Washington, D.C.-based Worldwatch Institute.
“The future is in renewable energy — not in outdated and environmentally destructive fossil fuels,” agreed an official of the Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
The Philippines has some of the highest electricity rates in Southeast Asia—as high as $0.20 (approximately ₱11.50) per kilowatt-hour on average, compared to as low as $0.08 (~₱4.50) in Vietnam or even $0.06 (~₱3.50) in Malaysia.
This makes the potential long-term savings from rooftop solar powers (RTSPs) its biggest selling point for many households.
But a new study from the Ateneo de Manila University highlights the persistent challenges preventing widespread adoption of RTSPs in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. It was conducted by Department of Economics Professor Rosalina Palanca-Tan and surveyed 403 respondents to understand why households remain reluctant to invest in solar technology despite its undisputed economic and environmental benefits.
Homeowners acknowledge that solar energy plays a significant role in environmental conservation by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and reducing air pollution, thereby aiding in the fight against climate change, as indicated by the study published in the journal Challenges in Sustainability.
The Ateneo study highlighted that respondents generally perceive RTSPs as a prudent long-term investment, offering additional benefits such as increased property value and improved roof longevity.
Nevertheless, the initial investment required for solar panel installation poses a substantial barrier to widespread adoption. The cost for a residential RTSP system can ₱100,000, which represents more than half a year’s salary for individuals earning minimum wage.
In addition, many households are uncertain whether this upfront expenditure is warranted by the potential long-term financial and environmental benefits.
The Ateneo survey revealed that cost alone does not play a significant role in influencing adoption decisions. Participants indicated that factors such as the reliability of providers, transparency regarding warranties, and the perceived quality of the installations were equally, if not more, critical considerations compared to cost.
A significant 82% of households surveyed indicated an interest in the adoption of solar panels; however, only 20% demonstrated a definitive intention to proceed with this initiative. This disparity appears to be largely attributed to a lack of information.
While the majority of respondents acknowledged a general understanding of renewable energy and its importance in combating climate change, only a small number were informed about the specific benefits of residential solar technology and the means to secure trustworthy installation services.
More importantly, apprehensions regarding the quality of materials, maintenance requirements, and the reliability of service providers further contributed to their hesitance.
The research advocates enhanced government involvement and the implementation of public education initiatives. Specifically, it recommends the enhancement of net metering rates, the broadening of financing options, and the accreditation of reliable RTSP providers to foster consumer trust.
Personal recommendations played a significant role in influencing decisions, as households with acquaintances who had embraced solar energy were more inclined to explore it for their own use. Highlighting success stories and community testimonials may serve as a vital strategy for altering perceptions and boosting the adoption rates of RSTP in the country.
Meanwhile, industry players said about 50% of the country’s power generation comes from coal, with natural gas and renewables accounting for just more than 20%. The remaining comes from oil-fired boilers. The country’s electricity consumption is expected to triple by 2040 – from the 90.2 TWh (Terawatt-hour) in 2018 – due to its rapidly growing economy.
Right now, solar power provides only two percent of the energy needs of Mindanao. If only the power from the sun is totally harnessed, the figure could go up to about ten percent.
“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy,” said American inventor and businessman Thomas Alva Edison. “What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”
Journalist Mio de la Cruz seemed to agree. In an article which appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, he wrote: “On a scorching summer day in a tropical country like the Philippines, the sun beams out approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of surface area that it shines on. If we could harness all that energy, then we could easily power our homes and offices for free.”
If you produce your own electricity by using solar power, you are actually introducing long term savings and you are no longer fully dependent on power providers. Even during brown-outs, you can still enjoy the electricity which you generate using the power of the sun.
But there’s a dark side to solar energy as well. “An undoubted disadvantage of solar energy is that this technology is not equally efficient around the world,” Igini wrote. “While solar power can be generated on a cloudy day, some level of daylight is still required in order to harness the sun’s energy, and the amount of energy that can be produced varies greatly depending on many factors, such as the amount and quality of direct sunlight that the panels receive as well as the size, number, and locations of the panels themselves.”
Another disadvantage: solar power plants are not the most environmentally friendly option. “The carbon footprint of solar energy is minimal,” Igini stressed. “However, this renewable still has some aspects, mainly related to land use and waste generation, that can still harm the environment.
For one, solar power plants require space. For example, a solar power plant to provide electricity for 1,000 homes would require almost 13 hectares of land. That span of land could be used for food production.
“Another factor to consider is the management and disposal of hazardous materials such as metals and glass needed to build some components of solar infrastructure that are energy-intensive to produce and thus responsible for the generation of carbon emissions,” Igini wrote.
“Building PV cells and panels also requires some hazardous chemicals and heavy metals. To avoid harming the environment, such materials necessitate careful management and disposal procedures once the solar plant’s life comes to an end,” Igini added.
In the United States, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) projects that by 2050, solar energy systems could be responsible for up to 78 million tons of waste.
Should solar power as energy sources still be pursued with all these disadvantages? Igini answered positively. “There is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ energy source. From nuclear and fossil fuels to renewable resources, all of them have many advantages but also some disadvantages, solar energy included,” she explained.
