Solar Home Archives - Solar Panels Philippines

THE BIGGER, THE BETTER

Making the Right Choice:

Small Solar Panel System vs. Big Solar Panel System

The demand is unbelievable

Solar is in demand in today’s era of power generation. The Philippines, a tropical country geographically situated in the heart of Southeast Asia, has enormous potential for renewable energy, specifically solar. Filipinos are driving the green agenda forward.

In 2011, solar energy produced one-tenth of the global energy demand. Solar was becoming popular fast at the time. People all over the world were beginning to understand that the sun’s energy can be harnessed, using solar panels that can be affixed on the rooftop of houses or buildings. Soon enough, residential and commercial establishments started harvesting the sun’s power, thereby experiencing the trade-off when they noticed the 50% to 70% decrease in their monthly electric bills.

In 2014, the most influential companies in the world joined forces and committed themselves to 100% renewable power through the establishment of RE100. The collaboration was a global initiative that united more than a hundred influential organizations. Among these are Microsoft, Google, and Coca Cola. Since then, they have been working hand in hand in accelerating the growth of RE to transition us to a healthier and more sustainable world and future.

“In the Philippines, approximately 20 million people are in locations which lack constant and consistent power supply. About 12 million Filipinos are in power-starved areas, which have zero power supply. The demand is clearly there. Solar is not just an option – it’s a necessity,” emphasized Mike De Guzman, President of Solaric Corp.

The question is: does solar make sense?

It’s a perennial question. People talk about a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable future. They talk about reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero. They talk about 2050 being a low-carbon-footprint era with efficient green facilities, e-vehicles, and solar homes. Imagine that as the destiny of the planet. The solar trend now is all about being a #ZeroBill home. Solar energy has definitely taken the lead in renewable energy in the Philippines, plus it makes financial and economic sense.

The next question is: does size matter?

The goal is free electricity, unli-electricity during daytime, or cheap electricity. Either way, people indulge when the deal is good. In any case, size matters – on the topic of solar – because size is directly related to the harvest which is directly related to the savings. With a solar system, the homeowner can be a consumer and producer of power at the same time. That means you don’t just use the power, you produce it too. When you produce more than what you need, you can get credits for the excess power that your system generates. Now with a small system, you will not generate more power than you can consume. With a big system, you can definitely generate more power than you can consume. With a big system, your surplus power goes to the grid and can be used by someone else, and you get credits for it. This translates to a lower monthly bill. That means you enjoy the benefits of your solar. So, does size matter? You tell us.

A large solar power system makes more sense financially and environmentally for some homeowners. Not only does an enormous solar system increase property value, it also greatly reduces the carbon footprint and contributes to a cleaner planet.

Breaking it down in simple terms

It is pretty straightforward and simple. Put plenty of solar panels on your roof and generate enough power. Then, export this power to the electric company through the Net Metering Program. In doing this, you get paid for the electricity that you will export. The #ZeroBill phenomenon is actually a benefit from being a consumer and provider.

Turning on the sun

At Solaric, we appeal to Filipino sensibilities of approachability, service and value. Before we give a quotation, we learn how you use energy. We determine the best ways to maximize your return on a hard-earned investment. We present different strategies to ensure that you achieve your solar goals. We want to ensure reduced expenses and increased savings so that you make that one-time wise business and environmental investment. We always do our best to deliver fast, efficient, and thorough customer service. We are in the business of not just selling solar panels – but also enabling solar-powered lifestyles. With this, we want to provide endless satisfaction by delivering Solaric Service Satisfaction, ranging from permanent reduction of electric bills to the ultimate ZERO bill.

Solaric is the leader in rooftop solar

Solaric has established its name across the renewable industry as a proven and reputable rooftop solar leader. Backed by decades of experience, Solaric has installed more than 50% of residential rooftop solar in the Philippines and has delivered significant cost reductions in electricity expenses, as well as milestone contributions to a cleaner, greener, and renewable future. We want every Filipino to enjoy the benefits of clean and renewable power. Welcome to the new generation of solar and turning on the sun.

Do you know anyone who is interested in installing rooftop solar? Help them out by sharing this article with them! Click SHARE.

Contact the solar experts

For more information on solar power systems and solar system installers and experts, click here.

If you also want to #TurnOnTheSun then give us a call at 5040092 or 09178603141 or 09083775577, email info@solaric.com.ph or visit www.solaric.com.ph

We will gladly explain to you how the system works, or schedule a survey so we can give you options for your new home or existing homes or businesses.

At Solaric, we Turn on the Sun.

ROOFTOP SOLAR: SHOULD YOU GET IT?

Does solar make sense?

Homeowners, business owners, and entrepreneurs have varying opinions and technical knowledge of the solar industry. Although most are aware of the advantages of solar, there is little grasp on the market, its long-term effects, and the deciding factors that go behind large capacity solar systems. Hundreds of Fortune 500 companies have gotten on board with renewable energy and adopting low carbon footprint energy sources. With the eco-aware planet of 2019, it is wise to start considering going solar at some point in the near future – not just as a strategic financial decision but also to play your role in protecting the environment.

Apple, Microsoft, Netflix

Yes, solar is not just for the big ones. Every household and business should invest and capitalize on solar. Everyone should take advantage of the renewable energy opportunities available now in the Philippines. Installing a solar power system is a key decision that guarantees a solid financial return. In the first five years after going solar, you will achieve a return on investment. In the next twenty years that follow, you will profit. There are three main reasons why anyone goes solar: to go green, to save money, and to profit.

As long as you have a roof

Any home or business with a roof can install solar and benefit from this low carbon source of energy: factories, warehouses, office buildings, cold storage facilities, restaurants, car dealerships, BPOs, schools, hospitals, and city halls. Once the home or facility has a solar panel system installed, the homeowner or business can register for Net Metering. Through the net metering program, they can sell their surplus solar energy to the grid (or to the utility company). With the grid-tie solar panel system, it does not need batteries because the system blends utility power with solar power. The system is automatically synchronized. Bill reductions typically average between 30% to 70%, depending on the capacity of the solar power system. Installing a solar power system is a wise, strategic, significant, business decision and investment that provides energy savings for 25 years. In essence, it means free power in the long term.

“Every six square meters of solar panels on the roof can produce about 1,500 to 1,700 kWh of energy each year, which translates to the energy content in a barrel of oil. For those who want to be green, clean, and sustainable, then solar is the way to go,” said Mike De Guzman, President of Solaric Corp.

Turning on the sun

Solaric is the leader in rooftop solar

Do you know anyone who is interested in installing rooftop solar? Help them out by sharing this article with them! Click SHARE.

Contact the solar experts

For more information on solar power systems and solar system installers and experts, click here.

If you also want to #TurnOnTheSun then give us a call at 5040092 or 09178603141 or 09083775577, email info@solaric.com.ph or visit www.solaric.com.ph

We will gladly explain to you how the system works, or schedule a survey so we can give you options for your new home or existing homes or businesses.

At Solaric, we Turn on the Sun.

Solar Home Economics 101

Every day, we get the question“How Much?” or “HM?” This is a very easy question and often is asked without the use of a vowel to solve a once inescapable problem of paying high electric bills. “HM po?” goes through a systematic process for a proper answer. There is no such thing as an ordinary house or a typical bungalow, so bear with us if we are makulit. We just want to make sure we give you the right answers in regards to solar panel installation in your Philippine home.

Here is the step-by-step process on how we figure out the answer to “HM?”

Consumption

What is your consumption? The kWh used per month or the monthly bill would give you the gross consumption. We profile how much energy or kuryente is used during daytime hours vs. nighttime hours. Of course, solar is very effective during daytime hours because it can directly displace utility or “kuntador kuryente”.

Second is nighttime consumption. What appliances do you turn on during the night, how many air cons are on, etc.? For ethical reasons, we would not suggest using your air con on lead acid batteries at night, since it is a false economy build;unless, of course, if you live on an off-grid location or the Spratley Islands.

We then take this into account and start crunching numbers. For the old school people out there, we use Net Metering vs. batteries to offset night consumption since it’s 3x cheaper to generate energy from solar than to store it. Batteries last a fraction as long as a solar panel so we do not even use it for savings. We’d rather opt for banking surplus production during daytime hours via Net Metering.

Net Metering

It is a special meter that the Utility Provider has to install to comply with National Law, specifically RA 9513 Sec 10. If your house has surplus solar energy, the utility has to purchase the excess energy. The net metering process is complex for the average homeowner to process, and even smaller solar outfits have a hard time on its documentary and rigid technical standards. Solaric handles the Net Metering process and advises you on estimated costs as your home has to be updated to latest electrical codes. Each job is wired differently, so costs vary.

We do not disconnect the Utility as they are there to give you power at night and buy your surplus power at day. We simply integrate solar power with existing wiring. Solaric customers become Prosumers of grid power—consumers who also produce and sell back their excess power.

Sizing

We look at the roof of your house, factory, or facility, either through Google maps or site survey; the only actual limiting factors for solar are the amount of unshaded roof space and budget.

From our online tech survey or actual field visit, we can see how many solar panels we can fit and determine the best yielding sides of your roof.

Our default strategy is to install enough solar to offset normal daytime loads (sub 5 year ROI) and if the client wants more aggressive bill reduction, we can put more solar to cover night time loads. This will ZERO out the bill or result in a negative electric bill—so you can buy that Tesla.

The most common concern is how much solar is needed to run the air con and the usual appliances, such as ref and fan. To answer this question, that would be a 1.62 kWp installation at Php140K. To the industrial installation solar, we put in the Big Boy Solar, the one that wipes out hundreds of thousands of pesos from a colossal electric bill.

Quotation

We do bill analysis of usage patterns: Day vs. night usage and available roof space, then suggest build sizes with approximate savings. Our solar engineers will go over various build options (e.g. Philippines vs. China vs. Korea panels), installation locations, and long term impact of electric bills. Solaric has the widest range of build options and, of course, we offer the best prices. From there, we can come up with Return on Investment calculations. This can range anywhere from 3 to 6 years ROI or even faster if electricity rates increase.

And that is when we can finally tell you “HM?” We will even tell you in great detail, using vowels, numbers, and all that.

Key Takeaway

In the Philippines, solar panels and their installation are not cheap nor are they for the financially impatient, but they will generate returns that are easily 5x more than its initial investment. Solaric DIY packages for less than P30k make it an even better investment than a smartphone.

Solaric has been systematically reducing electric bills and making the Philippines a greener place by enabling thousands of homes and businesses to say no to coal by putting red hot high electric bills on the deep freeze and by showing global warming who the real boss is.

For more information, visit this link or email info@solaric.com.ph. You may also call us at 02 5040092 for seasonal specials or to schedule surveys.

How to Maximize Your Solar Harvest

How can you maximize your solar harvest?

Face your solar panels towards the right direction
Schedule your appliance usage between 10 am to 3 pm
Remove any obstructions

With the help of the solar systems from the Philippines, homes are provided with electrical energy through a renewable and environment-friendly resource.

If two sets of the exact same model of solar panels were to be placed in two different regions of the country, you might wonder whether the solar homes will be able to produce the same amount of solar energy.

The answer is ‘No.’

For example, solar panels installed in the NCR (National Capital Region) will not have similar solar harvest compared to those that are in the Northern Luzon area. In fact, the chance that they generate the same amount of electrical energy is relatively low, even when they were measured at the same time.

The reason for this is because there are many factors that could overall affect your panels’ solar harvest. Some of which are:

The angle of your solar panel
The direction where the solar panel is facing
The sun’s availability
Shadows that could obstruct the harvest of your solar panels

Luckily, there are some ways for you to consider in order to maximize your solar harvest.

Face Your Solar Systems Towards the Right Direction

Since the Philippines is above the Equator, then the array orientation (commonly regarded as the direction which the solar panels face) of the areas in the northern hemisphere of the country must be facing the south direction. On the other hand, regions in the southernmost hemisphere should be facing the north direction since it is the region that is nearest to the Earth’s Equator.

But you don’t have to remember all this; you could just instruct your installers to follow your roof’s structure. The reason for this is because most houses in the Philippines already have their roofs built to face the east and the west—both of which get a significant amount of sunlight.

Schedule Your Appliance Usage Between 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

One technique that veteran solar homeowners do to maximize the energy provided by the panels is by only using most of their appliances from mid-morning until early-afternoon.

Specifically, 10 am until around 3 pm is the ideal time period to utilize your various electrical appliances.

As the sun is slowly rising above the Philippines, the sunlight that it emits gets stronger. Such condition is highly ideal for consumption.

Do take caution and keep track of the power capacity of your solar panels because overloading it can cause damage to its system. As much as possible, only use the electrical appliances one at a time.

Remove Obstructions

It is highly common for solar panels to be covered in dust, dirt, leaves, and even the dreaded bird droppings.

For most solar system owners, cleaning the panels may seem like a chore.

However, these obstructions could cause the panels to function inefficiently due to the shade it creates, which blocks the path of sunlight.

Do keep in mind that every inch of the panel absorbs sunlight, and is therefore essential for a solar panel to function.

Additionally, you might want to be on the look-out for nearby tall structures that may not create shadows on your panels during summer months, but could definitely be blocking the sunlight come the latter months.

Key Takeaway

And that’s it!

Those are the various ways on how your solar panels can function efficiently.

Make sure to follow these tips so that you can maximize the capacity of your solar panels and get the most out of your eco-friendly investment.

3 Ways to Help Seniors Live in a Healthier and Environmentally Friendly Home in the Philippines

What can you do to have a healthier home for seniors?

Power your household with solar energy
Purify your tap water
Plant your vegetable garden

Seniors are important members of our society. We need to ensure that we exercise our full capacity when it comes to making sure that they reside under the most comfortable conditions that cater to health. With the many estimates for solar panel prices in the Philippines, it would be a practical idea to seek out the range that best fits your means.

There are many ways to accommodate for a healthy and environmentally home—solar energy is an alternative energy source capable of both.

Besides being a healthier alternative, solar energy is also a great investment in terms of real estate; solar homes are currently seeing an economic renaissance in the market. Here are a few things to start out with when making sure our seniors live within the healthiest households:

Power Your Homes with Solar Energy

Solar panels are essentially run by solar cells. The formation of these cells is the product of converting sunlight into electrical energy. Sunlight is absorbed and processed through the Photovolatic Effect or the displacement of electrons from atoms.

Solar installation has been shown to decrease energy usage. The most practical aspect to solar panels is that the energy is renewable. According to a 2013 study by the Colorado Energy Office in Denver, the value and marketability of a solar powered home has shown to increase property appreciation with a consistency of 3%.

Purify Your Own Water

Sadly, the tap water in the Philippines is not clean. A number of households in the country get their drinking water from water purifying stations near them. However, this option is not viable—because it means you have to pay every time to get access to crystal clear water. Instead of doing this, you could invest in a water purifier to do the entire purifying process in your own home. By doing so, you could just turn it on and drink the water there.

Plant Your Vegetable Garden

A vegetable garden is perfect for homes that have seniors living in them. Why? Well, there are a few reasons as to why it is perfect for them. Let’s discuss some of them below.

For obvious reasons, a vegetable garden provides people with the produce they need to live a healthy and nutricious life. The seniors living in your home will surely benefit from all the vegetables you get from your patch of land.
A vegetable garden also provides senior something to do during their spare time. For sure, they would love to tend to the produce available in your garden so they could grow into something that they will enjoy on their plate someday; it’s the perfect pastime for them!
Lastly, a vegetable garden is a nice addition to your own healthy home because it could be a source of income. This would be especially true if you have a beautiful, flourishing garden.

Key Takeaway

Want to provide your seniors a healthy home?

Just follow the tips listed above and in no time you will be providing your loved ones a healthy environment.

You can start now by getting a PV system, a solar panel priced in the Philippines, from Solaric. Click here to view our products!

Learn More about Solar System and the Philippine Sun with These 2 Fun Solar Projects for Kids

What solar projects can you let your kids do?

Light box – a box your kids can use to play with light and shadows.
Solar oven – a DIY oven your kids can use to “cook” foods like s’mores.

Aside from science classes, there’s another marvelous way of letting your kids learn more about solar energy, the sun, and the Philippines’ place in the solar system–that is, through enjoyable solar projects.

This kind of activities is fantastic. Not only will the children be learning about multitudes of things (and in a hands-on way, at that), they’ll also be having fun in the process!

It’s good to let them learn about the wonders of the sun as early as plausible. They’re never too young to discover what the sun can do, how it has helped us across different eras, and how it provides us with a renewable supply of energy.

Here are 2 fun solar projects that you can introduce to the kids:

Source: True Aim

Light Box

Want to do something fun with your kids in your own home? Do this solar project that will surely introduce your kids to the sun’s impressive abilities.

Here are some of the ingredients you will need:

Carton box
Plastic water bottles
Duct tape
Scissors

Some additional materials are:

Paint
Paint brushes
Food coloring
Bleach
Foil
Cups

Here’s how you do it:

Have the kids paint the exterior of the box. Let their creativity run wild!
Fill the plastic bottles with water. To make it more interesting, you can add a few drops of food coloring to some of them. Add some bleach to the liquid mixture if you’ll be keeping these bottles around for a bit longer.
Trace the bottles on top of the box. Mark the shape, and then start cutting the holes.
For sunlight to reflect better, you can choose to put some foil on top of the box.
Cut a hole on the side of the box. This is where the kids will be viewing the bottles.
Position the bottles on the holes, and let the kids take a peek! You can put some cups on top of the bottle, to further play with shadows and light.

Source: A-to-Z of Homeschooling

Solar Oven

This project is a favorite in summer camps. After all, it only needs a few items, and it’s quite easy to make!

Here are the materials you will need:

Empty pizza box
Foil
Plastic wrap
Tape
Scissors
Ruler
Paper plate
Food to cook (such as marshmallows and smores)

Here are the steps to get you started:

Cut a cover flap on top of the pizza box. Reserve a 2-inch border in front and on the sides.
Coat the bottom side of the cover and the insides of the pizza box with foil. Secure everything with tape.
Place a plastic wrap over the opening created by the flap.
Put the marshmallows (or whatever food you’ve chosen) inside your solar oven.
Position the flap diagonally (so that it can reflect sunlight better on the food), and prop the cover flap open using a ruler.
Let the sun do its magic! Wait for your food to be cooked (which can take a few minutes to an hour). Enjoy!

Key Takeaway

It’s never too early to let the kids learn about the wonders of solar in your own home, and help them realize the Philippines’ place in the solar system. These projects are not only educational, but they are also extremely fun to do!

Solar System Philippines: How Solar Energy Changes Engineering and Design

How solar energy is changing engineering and design?

They are becoming lighter and smaller
They are utilizing efficient materials
The engineering and designs are becoming fresher and more dynamic
Automation in designs is becoming more apparent

With the rise of solar energy across the world, most countries have begun their movement to go green. This 2017 saw a massive increase in the usage of renewable energy, clocking in at an all-time high. Along with a more efficient and environmentally-friendly form of energy, engineering and design has also been influenced by renewable energy. In the Philippines side of the Solar System, we can see the effects of solar energy towards how machines, devices, and solar homes are being designed.

Here are some of the engineering and design changes bought about by solar energy.

Lighter and Smaller

Thanks to the development of solar energy across the world, we are able to make smaller and more efficient versions of some of the machines that we use today. For example, solar powered vehicles tend to be lighter and have fewer moving parts, since they do not need fuel to get them running.

Smaller and lighter designs also mean that you would be using less materials than before, which saves up manufacturing costs, and can even help the environment. Thanks to solar power, items such as watches, calculators, chargers, and other gadgets are now more efficient. With how things are shaping up to be, expect some of the bigger machines to have a smaller solar-powered version in the next few years.

Efficient Material Usage

Along with the development of renewable energy, manufacturers and researchers all over the world have been able to create materials that would coincide with being environmentally-friendly and safe to use. This means using recyclable and reusable materials, which can take the place of the traditional materials that are being used in regular manufacturing. The goal of using renewable energy is to make it portable and lighter, and the materials being developed for the future would help achieve that vision.

Fresh and Dynamic

Each century of human history has seen major trends and changes towards design. This can be very evident with the architecture and engineering of various structures over the past few years, as you would be able to see the many different variations and intricacies of each design. These changes are not only cosmetic, but they are also helpful in making them more efficient and dynamic. With the era of renewable energy arriving in the next few decades, expect another design revolution arriving, which will see more focus on being practical, while still having some elegance.

Automation in Design

With the many advancements in technology during the past few years, design has become more automated, as computer programs and applications are able to assist designers with creating better designs. This level of design automation has not been seen before, and is something that the next generation of architects and engineers would be able to utilize in the upcoming years.

Key Takeaway

With advent of renewable energy sources like solar energy, the world would be able to see major changes in design that would coincide with it in the future. The design trend of the future aims to apply the efficiency of renewable energy sources, which means we would be seeing sleeker and smoother designs in the next few years.