SOLAR ENERGY. City of Dreams Manila is the first integrated resort in the country to use solar energy. The resort invested PHP76 million for its solar power facility which it started powering up on Monday (Jan. 27, 2020). (PNA photo by Kris Crismundo)
MANILA – City of Dreams Manila started powering up its 1.2-megawatt solar power facility on Monday, making it the first integrated resort in the country to use solar energy.
City of Dreams Manila invested PHP76 million for its solar power facility provided by Spectrum and global professional services GHD. Spectrum is the renewable subsidiary of Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
Kevin Benning, the resort’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said its property in Macau has rolled out the same facility.
The company is also looking at expanding the solar energy facility here, Benning said.
“It’s already under review,” he said, adding the company is considering the same scale of solar power to be installed in the future.
The newly-installed solar energy facility now supplies 20 percent of City of Dreams’ power consumption.
“Utilizing clean and renewable energy is only one of our numerous green initiatives and we hope that as we set the bar for sustainable operations, we also inspire positive change as we all take part in the growing movement towards a more sustainable future,” Benning said.
He said City of Dreams expects to get the payback from investing in solar power facility in seven years.
For Spectrum President Victor Genuino, its City of Dreams project is the largest solar power installation for integrated resort.
He said the company is seeing increasing interest from industrial and commercial institutions as they realize the benefits of solar power facilities.
“What’s happening now for industrial and commercial solar power rooftop, people are seeing the benefits of the return in investment,” added Genuino, who is also Meralco First Vice President and Head of Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communications.
He said the cost of solar power installation has gone down to half over the past years.
“Secondly, globally big multinationals are asking their local subsidiaries here to look for sustainable initiatives,” he added. (PNA)
