THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) is experiencing delays in the development of its off-grid solar project for 5,000 households in several electric cooperatives (ECs) due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The competitive bidding process and the awarding of contracts to the successful bidders have already been completed. We are just awaiting delivery of solar panels, which will be coming from China,” Ernesto Silvano Jr., acting manager of NEA’s Total Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Department, said in a statement.
NEA has allotted P153 million for the implementation of the project under its Expanded Household Electrification Program.
“The PV mainstreaming program is an off-grid electrification scheme that aims to bring electricity to the most dispersed and isolated households that are deemed unviable for grid connection in the next five years,” Silvano said.
A total of 5,039 solar home system units will be distributed and installed in off-grid communities.
Beneficiaries include households under the coverage areas of Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative which will receive 1,200 units; Camarines Sur IV Electric Cooperative, 878 units; Iloilo III Electric Cooperative, 931 units: Cotabato Electric Cooperative, 1,063 units; and Zamboanga del Norte Electric Co-operative, 967 units.
As a supervisory body to 121 ECs nationwide, NEA regularly monitors distribution system parameters such as systems loss and reliability, circuit kilometers and substation capacity to ensure that they remain operationally reliant and technically efficient in delivering service to their member-consumers. It is also mandated to implement the total electrification of the country.
