National Power Corporation launches solar-diesel hybrid

State-run National Power Corporation (NPC) discloses its plans on building four more solar photovoltaic-diesel hybrid in its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) plants located in far-flung villages and islands in the Philippines. NPC's 2021 to 2025 Missionary Electrification Plan provides a framework of how renewable energy, particularly solar hybrid, will be implemented and integrated into its existing SPUG areas for the next five years.

Since the hybrid system began operating, there had been a reduction of the cost of electricity by an average of PHP0.97 (US$0.02) per kilowatt-hour and recorded fuel savings of about 31,000 liters of diesel.

From a long-term perspective and considering the increase of fuel price and decrease of power production of the solar PV and its battery system, the hybrid system will reduce the cost of electricity at an average of PHP1.33 (US$0.028) per kilowatt-hour and will allow an average diesel fuel savings of 38,700 liters per year. There would also be a reduced carbon dioxide emission at 101,820 kg per year.