THE country’s biggest shopping mall, SM, has formally launched its pilot solar project by switching on a solar powered rooftop which could generate up to 1.5 MW enough to power ‘1,000 households or light 150,000 10-watt light bulbs or charge 214,285 cellphones or power 170,000 30-watt electric fans.’
No less than President Noynoy Aquino, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. President Hans Sy and Quezon City Mayor Bistek Bautista led Monday’s switching on at the Multi-level Carpark Building of the SM North EDSA.
The project, as a result, has made it (SM North EDSA) the world’s first biggest solar-powered mall.
In partnership with Solar Philippines, the retail and property giant says that the solar rooftop project has been installed as part of its commitment toward making its operations sustainable and environment-friendly, particularly in the midst of potential energy shortage the country is facing next year due to the increasing power requirement and limited energy sources.
This writer was told that the solar powered rooftop was made with 5, 760 solar panels that could offset 1, 200 tons of carbon dioxide or the equivalent of planting 6,000 trees per year. Installed at SM’s carpark building, the solar panels can be able to light up all the mall’s 16,000 lighting fixtures, 59 escalators and 20 elevators.
With SM North EDSA having Southeast Asia’s largest solar installation in a mall, the SM Prime says “it has embarked on such project to provide a business model for other commercial establishments to follow as it is determined to develop more solar projects in its other malls all over the country.”
It’s learned that SM Prime already put up the first mall in the world to operate using solar energy in its mall in Xiamen in mainland China which prompted a non-profit organization (also in China) to recognize and eventually award it for its pioneering efforts in upgrading its services.
Renewable energy sources like solar energy operate with zero CO2 emissions which can help mitigate climate change and promote cleaner air. Through this initiative, more electricity can be made available for the surrounding communities, it says.
It also explains that the need for greater sustainability and disaster-resiliency has been in the forefront of its development because of the many disasters that had hit the nation the past decade.
“For the Mall of Asia complex SM devotes around 30% of its budget to make the whole area disaster-resilient. As a result, it had survived 50 typhoons, four earthquakes and two floods from monsoon storms since it was built in 2006,” SM Prime says.
Not only did the malls survive the disasters, they also became a refuge for stranded people and food seekers. The malls also became repacking centres for relief goods and opened their multi-level parking building for private cars for free. GOOD RIDDANCE/ARLIE CALALO
.. Continue: Remate.ph (source)
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