More than 400 KW Solar Power will now be supplying a part of the energy needs of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU).
Solar panels installed in increments starting in 2015 in both the AdZU Salvador Campus in La Purisima and the Kreutz Campus in Tumaga, will provide the solar power worth almost P40M, making it the biggest of its kind in Mindanao.
On March 10, 2017, the solar system project will be formally turned over to AdZU by Orion International, Inc., a renewal energy installations company. Simple turn-over rites will be held at 3:00 in the afternoon at the Carlos Dominguez Conference Hall, LRC Building at the Salvador campus in La Purisima, this city.
Expected to attend the turnover ceremonies are AdZU officials led by AdZU President Fr Karel San Juan, SJ, Rynor Jamandre, president of OrionGroup/Quantity Solutions Inc; representatives from project financier Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), government officials, media and members of the academic community.
“The renewable-energy project is one of the University’s ways of being environment-friendly, by being
less reliant on non-renewable energy sources,” pointed out Fr San Juan. The solar energy system helps the environment by decreasing harmful greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 410 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide per year.
The project is also believed to be not only environment-friendly, but will also help the university save millions in electricity bills. “The solar power project will be generating savings of some Php4M annually,” Fr San Juan stated. The savings will come from reduced electricity costs since AdZU still sources some of its power needs from the local electric cooperative, and from the high diesel consumption from generators.
AdZU entered into contract for the Solar Power Project with Orion in 2015, and obtained financing from BPI in the same year.