A solar community center opened quietly last Tuesday, September 30,
rising from the rubble of a once flood-swept 750-square meter plot of
land in downtown Tacloban.
The opening saw the city’s first sun-powered electric jeepneys, or
eJeepneys, roll out — four units of what is expected to become a
26-strong fleet by 2015. A solar-powered videoke party took place in the
evening to demonstrate that solar power works day and night.
The solar facility’s proponent is Institute for Climate and
Sustainable Cities (iCSC). The solar facility is run under the
organization’s RE-Charge Tacloban project.
The RE-Charge Tacloban facility is a community hub for renewable
energy and an incubation center for sustainable livelihoods and
renewable energy-powered social enterprise. It is iCSC’s contribution to
help steer Tacloban toward better development and climate resilience.
The facility uses a hybrid off-grid solar photovoltaic system with
battery backup and grid-tie capability that is connected to the
geothermal-powered Leyte grid. The system uses 39 250-watt Renesola
virtus II polycrystalline modules which have a 25-year performance
warranty. A Schneider 48 volt inverter converts the direct current (DC)
to alternating current.
“It’s time to embrace sunshine, one of Tacloban’s greatest yet most
neglected treasures. We are excited to contribute to the government’s
efforts to build back better and brighter,” officials from iCSC said.
