SM City North Edsa, Quezon City
24 November 2014

President Benigno S. Aquino III witnessed the launching of 5,760 solar panels spearheaded by the SM Prime Holding Incorporated and Solar Philippines at the roof deck of SM North EDSA Mall as part of the promotion of renewable energy resources to help mitigate climate change in the country.

As the first mall to become solar-powered, President Aquino commended the SM Company for instigating this kind of project, and all their initiatives and good practices in energy and for the environment. According to him, this is very significant in light of the challenges that might confront the country’s energy sector in the near future.

But rest assured, President Aquino guaranteed that the government is in full swing to overcome such problems. He cited several upcoming projects that will hopefully address energy issues. Just recently, the House of Representatives Committees on Energy and Ways and Means approved a joint resolution authorizing the national government to contract additional generating capacity to prevent energy shortage. Moreover, to ensure a reliable and reasonably-priced power supply, the President said an additional 5,098 megawatts are expected to online nationwide, at the same time, the government continues to encourage investments into power.

“The use of renewable energy sources represents a long-term investment. It plays to our country’s strengths, provides insulation from fluctuations in the international oil market and thus allows us to be more self-sufficient,” President Aquino said.

With the capacity of 1.5 megawatts of electricity, the solar panels are enough to power up the mall’s 16,000 lighting fixtures, 59 escalators, and 20 elevators. SM initiated this project to provide a business model for other establishments to follow. As of now, SM City North EDSA holds the record for the largest solar installation in a mall in the Southeast Asian region.

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