SM City Iloilo now a solar powered mall

SM Supermalls capped the month of August with the expansion of its green initiatives campaign with 8 more of its malls going solar, the most recent of which is SM City Iloilo. The mall now has 2,904 solar panels, each panel producing 285 watts of power for a total of 827 kilowatts of power.

The Ceremonial Switch On was led by Vice Mayor Joe Espinosa III and Ma. Majella P. Liboon, SM Regional Operations Manager, Visayas 3. They were joined by Councilor RLeone Geroche, Rabbie Chris Carvajal,  Chief, DENR-EMB 6 Environmental Eductation and Communication Section; Dir. Rosario Carbrera, Office of Civil Defense 6; Engr. Robert Escuto, Senior Environmental Mgt. Specialist and Chief of Pollution Control, CENRO Iloilo City; Darrel John Defensor, SM City Iloilo Asst. Mall Manager; and Nerio Lujan, Chief, Provincial Information and Community Affairs Office.

Nationwide Campaign

Aside from SM City Iloilo, SM City Cauayan and SM City Cabanatuan has also completed its solar panel projects last month, in support of SM Prime's commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions and maximize energy efficiency in all its malls nationwide.

As the retail giant aims to lead private sectors in clean energy use in the country, SM is slated to launch in the coming months five more solar powered malls – SM City Trece Martires, SM Seaside City Cebu, SM City Dasmarinas, SM City Olongapo, and the upcoming SM City Tuguegarao Downtown.

During SM City Cauayan's launching of its solar panels.

By the end of this phase, SM will have approximately 33,000 solar panels capable of producing 8.9 megawatts of electricity – enough to fully charge around 1.3 million cellphones, light up 890,000 10-watt LED lamps, run 297,000 30-watt electric fans, or provide power to almost 6000 households.

“SM Prime has always been committed to reduce greenhouse emissions and maximize energy efficiency in our malls. This is just one of the many renewable projects we have been doing and we will continue with finding ways on how to make our operations more environmentally sound and sustainable,” said SM’s Hans T. Sy during the Memorandum of Agreement signing ceremony between SM Prime and Solar Philippines in 2014.

As SM’s partner in promoting eco-friendly shopping in the country, Solar Philippines is the largest developer of solar rooftop power plants in Southeast Asia. This rooftop format not only utilizes previously unused space, but also provides “green” roofs for the said malls.

Solar Philippines President Leandro Leviste and SM’s Hans Sy during a viewing of the solar panels on the roof deck of SM City North Edsa’s carpark building.

In 2014, SM launched its first solar rooftop project in the country at SM City North Edsa, the first mall in the Philippines to become solar powered. SM Mall of Asia followed two years later with the inauguration of a solar power facility with twice the capacity of the former’s rooftop installation.

As SM Supermalls aspires to be exemplary for commercial and industrial establishments, this latest milestone on green energy projects reaffirms SM Prime’s commitment to its role as a catalyst for economic growth, delivering innovative and sustainable lifestyle cities that enrich the quality of life of millions.