Two retailers have taken steps in adopting solar energy in powering up their malls.
WM Shopping Center Management Inc., the developer of WalterMart chain of malls, announced plans to install additional solar power plants in seven more mall locations in Luzon.
The company said it has tapped First Gen Corp. for the construction of 11.4 megawatts peak (MWp) worth of solar power plants. This forms part of the mall chain’s multi-phased program to source a substantial portion of its electricity from a clean energy.
The additional solar-powered WalterMart malls are located in Candelaria, Quezon; Subic, Zambales; San Fernando City in Pampanga; Gapan, Nueva Ecija; Nasugbu, Batangas; Malolos, Bulacan; and Antipolo City in the province of Rizal.
WalterMart first tapped First Gen and its sister company, Pi Energy in 2019 with the installation of a solar power facility atop a WalterMart mall carpark building in Nasugbu, Batangas.
WalterMart has 41 community malls around the Philippines with a total solar capacity of 12.3 MWp.
By the end of the year, 25 out of the 41 WalterMart malls will have solar power systems with 27 MWp capacity. These projects are part of the company’s program to source 20 percent of its power requirements from solar energy by the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, regional mall developer Magic Group of Companies signed a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) Berde Renewables for the installation of a 729-kilowatt peak solar power system at Magic Mall San Carlos.
Under the PPA, the installation is expected to be completed within a 12-month timeframe.
The installation covered by the PPA is projected to generate approximately 983,690 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually, translating to a reduction of 860 tons of carbon emissions over the next decade.
The Pangasinan-based Magic Group eyes to replicate the partnership with its upcoming mall branches as part of its broader sustainability strategy.
