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by Restituto A. Cayubit, March 11, 2016

Palo, Leyte – A $90-million, 50-megawatt (MW) solar power farm owned by Sulu Electric and Light Corporation (SEPALCO) was inaugurated here the other day.
 
Joey Clarin, SEPALCO spokesperson, said the solar power farm was made possible through Taiwanese investor Frank Huang.
 
Clarin said that the solar farm, which is the biggest in the country, has 188,000 solar panels installed in a 72 hectare land.
 
The solar panels are capable of generating 50 megawatts during peak hours with fair weather and under clear skies.
 
However, the power farm’s output will be reduced by 25 percent during cloudy or rainy days.
 
The power facility is connected to the grid system and can likewise supply electricity to some parts of Luzon and Visayas as the solar farm produces more than the power demand of Leyte, Clarin said.
 
The solar farm is designed to withstand winds of up to 250 kilometer per hour.
 
Economic boost
 
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla, said the solar farm along the national road located in barangay Castilla, this town will help boost the economy of the town and his province as the farm employs people from Leyte.
 
In addition, the local government units of this province will derive taxes from the power farm, the governor added.
 
Investors’ confidence
 
Petilla said that the investment on the solar farm is an indication of foreign investors’ confidence in doing business in Leyte, which is steadily recovering from the onslaught of super-typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Director Leonardo Sibbaluca welcomed the establishment of the solar power farm, which is a “clean source of renewable energy” for the province.
 
Sibbaluca said that aside of being environmental friendly, SEPALCO is committed to support pro-environment activities such as tree- planting programs in the province.