Lanao del Sur health facilities to be powered by solar energy

THE Department of Energy (DoE) will install 170-kilowatt-peak (kWp) rooftop solar panels with battery storage in four public health facilities in Lanao del Sur to help ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential medical services.

The solar panels will be installed in Tamparan Provincial Hospital, the provincial infirmary in Marawi City, Wao District Hospital, and Dr. Serapio B. Montañer, Jr. Al-Haj Memorial Hospital in Malabang, the DoE said in a statement on Thursday.

Tamparan Provincial Hospital will receive a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) facility with 40 kWp of capacity and 140 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of battery storage; the Marawi City infirmary will get a 30-kWp solar PV facility and 60 kWh in battery storage; Wao District Hospital will get a 50-kWp solar PV facility with 100 kWh in battery storage; and the memorial hospital will get a 50-kWp solar PV facility and 100 kWh in battery storage.

The planned installations are being pushed under the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Access to Climate Security and Health Services (RE3ACHS) Project, which is targeted for full operations by the first quarter of 2026.

The DoE’s partners in the project are the United Nations Development Programme, the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Lanao del Sur province, supported by the Government of Japan.

“Hospitals require electricity round the clock to run cooling systems, lighting, and critical medical equipment,” Energy Undersecretary Mario C. Marasigan said. “By integrating solar PV systems with battery storage, we can reduce operating costs, strengthen energy security, and help ensure continuous power when it matters most,” he added.

Valued at about P33 million, the RE3ACHS Project forms part of the Japan Supplementary Budget 2024 Climate Promise Global Initiative, supported by a $1.3-million grant from the Government of Japan for the broader initiative. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera