Solar panels are installed at the Consolacion Municipal Jail making it the first fully solar-powered facility in the region. | Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The Consolacion Municipal Jail has become the first security facility in Region 7 or in Central Visayas to be fully solar-powered.
This is after the jail, which is managed by the Bureau of jail and Management and Penology (BJMP), installed a hybrid inverter solar system that can generate 24 kilowatts a day.
Aside from reducing electricity cost, the renewable energy source was installed to help the environment by lessening the carbon footprint of the jail.
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Municipal Jail Warden Chief Inspector Bryan Roy Mercado on Wednesday, Oct. 16 said that the solar system would provide power to the jail and nearby municipal offices of Philippine National Police and Commission on Elections in barangay Poblacion.
“Ang jail kinahanglan gyud na siya og electricity labi na kung gabii kay ang lights nato ana permi hayag. Ang jail kay security facility baya ta unya naay opisina kinahanglan og kuryente para mas makatabang pagsave sa galastuhon sa kuryente. Mao ni propose mi ani (solar system),” said Mercado.
(A jail would need electricity especially electricity at night because at night our lights should always be turned on. The jail is a security facility and we have offices that would need power, (this is) so that we can save in expenses for electricity. That is why we proposed this (solar system).)
The solar system was provided by the municipal government that cost around P2 million.
With the installation of solar panels, Mercado said that the local government would be expected to save P50,000 monthly on electricity.
“Kung atoang huna-hunaon, ang solar unta ang back-up pero sa pagkakarun hybrid man ni ang gi-install sa atoa mahulog nga siya ang amoang primary source of power, mahulog nalang nato’ng back-up kana’ng sa VECO. Kung makuwangan automatic nga moconnect sa VECO,” said Mercado.
(If we think about it, the solar system should have been the backup, but for now we are now hybrid and this install to our facility, then it would seem that this has become our primary source of power, it would seem that VECO has become our backup. If we lack power it would automatically connect to VECO.)
The municipal jail has a population of 326 inmates with 10 dormitorties and offices. Each dormitory has Television, electricfan and ceiling fan.
The offices has computers and airconditioners. These are aside from the equipment of the police office and Comelec.
The power system will be operational after the installation of 48 solar panels will be completed on Thursday, Oct. 17.