The Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance is asking the Energy Regulatory Commission to set a higher Green Energy Auction Reserve price for floating solar technology.
The agency is currently holding public consultations on the proposed GEAR price for rooftop solar at P4.7156 per kWh; ground-mounted solar, P4.2395 per kWh; floating solar, P4.7565 per kWh; wind, P5.9823 per kWh, and biomass, P5.1475 per kWh. PSSEA said that unlike in ground-mounted solar, solar PV on water incurs additional costs in construction and operations, including but not limited to, installation of floaters, anchoring and mooring of the system. These systems, it added, are the unique features of floating solar and are indispensable in keeping it in its place.
“The GEAR price for solar PV on water must be significantly higher than ground-mounted. Allocating a GEAR price for solar PV on water equivalent to or less than the ground-mounted solar will negate the purpose of GEAP and defeat the spirit of the GEAR rules in supporting the development of new renewable energy projects under a competitive process.”