San Andres Aqua Culture Corp. (Sanacor) integrates solar power into shrimp farms in Sarangani, Mindanao to reduce operational expenses.
Solar power is expected to save 20-25% of total electricity costs.
The electricity cost in Mindanao is around 9-10 pesos per kilowatt hour (kWh).
Sanacor saves an average of P800,000 per month for one farm alone through solar power.
Solar power's cost-efficiency and environmental benefits were key factors in the shift to renewable energy.
The use of solar power has facilitated quicker operations and allowed for exploration of new technologies.
Sanacor's solar power operates on Huawei’s energy inverters, aiding in sun-to-electricity conversion.
Huawei’s technology detects the farm’s power requirements and contributes to lowered energy expenses.
Solar power cuts Sanacor’s operational costs
At a glance
In an effort to reduce operational expenses, San Andres Aqua Culture Corp. (Sanacor) has integrated solar power into its shrimp farms in Sarangani, Mindanao, with the aim of lowering electricity costs.
Shawna Velasco, Sanacor engineer supervisor, said solar’s contribution to the total electricity saved would be around 20 percent to 25 percent.
“Mindanao’s electricity cost is around 9 to 10 pesos per kilowatt hour [kWh], so solar plays a really big role because we’re saving around an average of P800,000 a month [for one farm alone],” Velasco explained.
The Sanacor supervisor said the aquaculture company shifted to renewable energy through a pitch that highlighted solar power’s cost-efficiency.
“Aside from saving money from electricity, we thought that this would also save the environment,” she said.
Velasco also emphasized that they have been producing tons of shrimp products each day through the use of their available power, stating that “Operations have been quicker, and we were able to explore new technologies, not only regarding energy but how we run things here.”
Sanacor's solar power operates on Huawei’s energy inverters, which aid with sun-to-electricity conversion.
Jesus Calasara Jr., Huawei’s smart photovoltaic (PV) service manager, said that their technology detects the farm’s power requirements and contributes to the establishment’s lowered energy expenses.
“The inverter is responsible for converting output from the panel and turning it into the reusable energy that the farm has,” said Calasara.
When asked why solar power is a good RE source, he explained that the country and even Mindanao itself are near the earth’s equator, where the sun is adamant.
Despite possible issues that could affect the intermittent energy, Calasara noted that Huawei inverters are designed to combine the production of RE and electricity coming from the grid.
“The [technology] of the inverter allows us to mix the energy coming from the utility and the solar harvest to meet the farm’s requirements,” he added.
Huawei service manager also said that other factories and establishments nationwide prioritize the electricity coming from solar power.
“[Solar energy powers] hospitals, schools, malls, and other kinds of businesses, even residential and commercial as well as industrial utilities,” Calasara told reporters. (Gabriell Christel Galang)