MANILA, Philippines - Manila Water recently inaugurated the country's first solar-powered used water treatment facility at the Food Terminal Complex in Taguig City.
The installation of the solar-powered treatment facility, which cost P8.09 million, is expected to reduce the power consumption of the South Septage Treatment Plant (SpTP) by around 20-30 percent.
Manila Water Operations Group Director Geodino Carpio said this translates to more than 9,000 kilowatt-hour monthly savings or about 110,000 killowatt-hour savings annually.
Carpio said the solar powered plant is just one of the many measures that Manila Water implemented to help reduce power costs in its facilities.
The grid-tied solar-powered facility consists of photovoltaic array, inverter, breaker box and meter.
Photovoltaic panels convert solar energy to direct current which is converted to alternating current by the inverters. Breaker box provides an interconnection point to the consumer or grid while the meter provides measurement of the actual power generated by the facility.