Bukidnon retailer adopts solar-powered rooftops

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Homegrown NVM Mall in Valencia City, Bukidnon, will become the first shopping center in the province to have a solar energy system installed on its rooftop.

In a public disclosure Tuesday, NVM said the installation of its 100-kilowatt solar-power rooftop is slated for completion in June 2019 and full commissioning and testing will follow within the week.

The local retailer has grown substantially over the years with parallel businesses in agriculture, milling, and warehousing.

"The mall has been looking into solar solutions for its corporate social responsibility aspirations," NVM said in a statement. It added that although the management was "fully aware of the merits of renewable energy, it was prohibited by high costs in the past."

“We want to be a clean energy leader in our own region and we are pleased to see the recent price drop of solar technology in the local market,” NVM Marketing Inc. President Jose Yap was quoted as saying.

NVM also vowed to support the provincial and city government's objective towards greening the local economy through carbon emission reductions.

According to the company, the over 300 photovoltaic silicon panels on neat arrays mounted on the mall's roof will generate at least 100kW of solar power which will be integrated with the store's existing electrical system.

It said that based on calculations by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, a 100kW solar power is equal to avoiding the burning of about 120,000 pounds of coal a year and is equivalent to growing almost 2,000 trees for 10 years.

NVM said it has explored several solar energy service providers in the country before deciding to commission another homegrown Northern Mindanao brand, Greenergy Solar PH, to install its solar power system.

With local headquarters in Cagayan de Oro, Yap said Greenergy Solar is able to provide after-sales service and quick response to operations and maintenance inquiries which arise with new technology.

Engr. Cerael Donggay, Greenergy Solar president, said Mindanao region "deserves top quality service providers for solar technology which not only assure our energy supply security but also help curb climate change."

"NVM understands this and we are happy to work with them," Donggay added. (PNA)