First solar net metered neighborhood by Imperial Homes
3 June 2022
Imperial Homes Corp., a local property developer, opened the country’s first solar-net metered neighborhood in Cavite yesterday, with plans to replicate it in other parts of the country.
The company’s Via Verde Trece Martires development in Cavite, which pioneered a solar net-metered community, is a watershed moment for the real estate and energy sectors.
IHC president and CEO Emma Imperial noted during the launch that the development features 550 dwellings integrated with solar solutions in a 50,000 square meter site, with all units having sold out
It is anticipated to be completed in 2025 and will serve as a “model” for all Cavite projects that are inexpensive, robust, and sustainable.
“The net-metering system is another another example of how real estate, renewable energy, and green resilient construction materials can work together to address poverty reduction, climate change, and housing shortages.” “Without the leadership of ERC chairperson Devanadera, none of this would be conceivable,” Imperial stated.
The net-metering scheme, which began in 2013, allows an average electricity user to become a “prosumer” by installing a renewable energy (RE) facility of up to 100 kilowatts (kW), such as solar photovoltaic panels (PV).
A prosumer creates electricity for their own use and sells any excess generation to the grid in exchange for credits on their electric bill.
For the solar net metered units per house, IHC teamed with the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) group.
“Supporting this project pioneered by Via Verde Trece Martires, the first solar net-metered community, demonstrates our advocacy in accelerating the shift to RE,” stated Ferdinand Geluz, Meralco’s chief commercial officer and head of client retail services
According to IHC, the Via Verde Trece Martires community can save up to P1.2 billion through net metering while also producing clean energy that offsets 45,000 tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of planting 50 million trees–all while contributing to the stability of the power system.
According to ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera, the pioneering solar net-metered neighborhood is considered as a step toward a more stable grid in Luzon.
“In Legazpi City, we have two solar net metered communities. In Iriga [in Camarines Sur], we have it. We’re partnering with Cary Lagdameo of Damosa Land to open one in Davao. “We’re building affordable housing in Panabos,” she explained.
IHC received Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiency (EDGE) and Building Resiliency Index (BRI) Certificates from the International Finance Corp. (IFC) in April for successfully incorporating sustainability and resiliency into the Via Verde Trece Martires housing project.
The EDGE is a global green building standard that assesses the energy, water, and material efficiency of every dwelling. Meanwhile, the BRI is a robust assessment methodology and hazard mapping tool developed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) that assesses, improves, and reveals building resilience.
IHC was founded in 1983 and has since launched 28 real estate development projects, resulting in the construction of nearly 20,000 dwellings.
