DAGOHOY, Bohol, Oct. 3 (PIA) -- The first solar power project in Bohol is set to occupy around 22 hectares of idle lands here, producing an estimated 20-27 megawatts of renewable energy converted to power for Bohol consumers.

The solar power plant would be laying 42,300 photo voltaic solar panels, 63 string inverters to produce a maximum projected yield of 27MW of direct current or 20 MW of alternating current, according to the project design.

Brought in by PetroGreen Energy Corporation (PGEC), the Dagohoy Solar Power Project (DSPP), a green energy resource that does not emit greenhouse gases, does not produce effluents and does not smell as compared to other energy produced by fossil fuels.

It is a welcome addition to Bohol’s latest efforts to bring in inland power sources that go in line with the vision for GreenBohol, said Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado.

He said this is proof that development can be achieved without sacrificing the delicate balance of nature, Aumentado said.
PGEC’s DSPP will be an indigenous and ready source of power in Bohol which will displace the more expensive oil-based plants, and the low maintenance facility will bring in cheaper power that could reduce even the line rental consumers are paying, bringing the costs down.

PetroGreen Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Francisco Delfin Jr. said they approached Aumentado in 2019, who was then a congressman, with the said proposal when they heard the lack of power supply in Bohol, and that a big portion of the power Bohol uses is still from unsustainable sources.

Delfin said the project does not emit smoke, has no effluents, and does not smell.

This has no side effects to the farms, houses, and the lands near it, he added, stressing that they designed the facility to spare the farms and residences in the vast sprawling land the company has picked for the solar power plant.

The area has a flat and clear terrain without shades, has a high irradiance value and is near existing transmission lines as the company also intends to bring the excess power to the Visayas grid through the Energy Development Corporation.

The project also has a high support and acceptance of the nearby communities and the local government unit, assured Dagohoy Mayor Herminio Relampagos and San Vicente Barangay Chair Renato Saguing.

Relampagos said he understands that host communities with power facilities can benefit from the revenues from every generated power, real property taxes, business taxes, employment opportunities and corporate social responsibility projects of the company.

The mayor sees millions in annual revenues for the local government, which the town can use for its development projects as well as revenues for the barangay.
On the other hand, on the prospect of job generation, the construction phase of the project alone would employ some 500 to 800 local workers, said Saguing. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)