RE use in gov’t buildings backed

THE Senate Committee on Energy on Thursday urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to inspect government agencies which could be potential models for renewable energy (RE) installations.

In a hearing, Senator Pilar Juliana S. Cayetano, who chairs the committee, said the DPWH should inspect newer government buildings capable of adopting renewable energy.

“Maybe [the] DPWH can already work with a number of model agencies,” Ms. Cayetano said in a mix of English and Filipino. “Instead of assessing the buildings one by one, let’s look at the modern buildings where solar energy could be installed.”

The DPWH proposed the mandatory structural integrity assessment of all government buildings prior to the installation of solar photovoltaics (PVs).

The agency also pushed for the mandatory integration of solar PVs and provision of the planning stage of government buildings, provisions of battery energy storage systems for crucial facilities such as hospitals, and the establishment of a joint DPWH and Department of Energy (DoE) technical working group to monitor the RE installations.

DoE Undersecretary Riolita D. Inocencio also backed the promotion of the RE adoption for government buildings, noting that the energy savings from the initiative could be used as a fund source.

“Another suggestion is for this energy cost-saving to be used as a source of funds for them to pay off these contractors,” Ms. Inocencio said, also requesting an enabling provision for the DoE to provide various agencies with technical assistance. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel