LONGi, a major Chinese manufacturer of photovoltaic solar modules and a developer of solar power projects, is seeking to provide solar power solutions down to individual households in the country.

Viktoria Locson, LONGi’s lead business partner in the Philippines, said in an email interview that even as they seek to do business in the country, the company prioritizes its advocacy of building awareness on the benefits of using solar energy.

LONGi has sought to introduce and promote its distributed solar market model, a distributorship program that teaches how end consumers can access the solar system.

So far, it has partnered with local firm OpenSolar to accelerate the adoption of solar and renewable energy and provide clean energy professionals with end-to-end digital design, sales, and management software to grow their businesses.

With that, Locson said, LONGi is preparing to launch a solar academy series in the Philippines to create public awareness.

Foremost, she said, energy generated from solar is much cheaper than purchasing from utilities. Business owners also see solar systems as worthwhile investments for their long-term cost savings.

Unlike fossil fuel-fed power, which emissions are harmful to environment and human health, solar power has zero emission making it the best clean, green, AND sustainable energy choice.

“LONGi believes that making solar energy is simple to use, effective, and of excellent quality is necessary. Solar energy is no longer rocket science. It is unmistakably reachable for the Filipino family, especially since the Philippines is one of the most affected nations by climate change, making Filipinos sensitive and innovative towards cleaner solutions,” Locson explained.

Locson also noted that solar costs are already lower than coal and fossil-fuel generation even without subsidies. “It helps Filipino households save electricity costs. On the other hand, we can now solve the issue of unstable access to electricity by installing solar systems on rooftops paired with energy storage at the most competitive price,” she said.

Rooftop solar installation is one of the applications to adopt open space for solar, and such technology is not limited to any company, she pointed out.

According to Locson, LONGi is not looking for any specific return for now. “We are only hoping to create awareness of such a lifestyle and educate many local EPCs to make solar reachable for the general public if they want to try it out,” she said.

Electricity rates in the Philippines are the highest among the ASEAN 10 member countries. For users living in regions without a grid, the energy costs are usually much higher.

With the sharply declining prices of PV technology, Locson said solar PV provides the most economical solution to this problem and can even be installed without any grid capacity.

Thus, they are prioritizing the Philippine market for their solar power solutions adding that the Philippines has always been an important market for LONGi. “Any vacant roof can potentially become viable for solar investment in this irradiation-rich country for 25+ years,” she said.

Locson explained that LONGi is the market pioneer in mono-crystalline solar technology. In 2015, poly-crystalline products dominated over 80 percent of the solar market, and mono-crystalline technology was deemed efficient but very expensive.

Now, she said, over 90 percent of the solar projects use mono-crystalline modules. A standard PV module will last at least 25 years and 30 years for glass-on-glass modules.