The Sustainable Energy Program activities include research projects, public lecture series, and information dissemination/other activities. Public lecture series consist of monthly lectures of distinguished scholars in the field. Research projects include long-term (at least one year) research such as the multi-year Life Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis of Renewable Energy started in 2015. Information dissemination materials are developed to communicate outputs from discussions and findings from the research projects and regular activities with the aim of conveying sustainable energy message to the public in a timely and accessible manner. Other activities include round table discussion, focused group discussion, and public fora that cater to pressing energy issues.

Public Lecture Series

Research Projects

Life Cycle Cost-Benefit Analysis of Renewable Energy in the Philippines

Mili-Ann M. Tamayao, Ph.D. (Project Leader)

Renewable energy is advanced as one of the cornerstones toward mitigating climate change and attaining sustainable energy systems. For example, cleaner power systems, which may include renewable energy technologies, are imperative for electric vehicles to be a viable sustainable transportation solution. However, like other systems, renewable energy technologies pose tradeoffs and there is no shortage on studies evaluating these. However, these studies are mostly evaluated in the context of other countries such as Germany, U.K., and U.S., the first movers in the renewable energy space. The Philippines has been using renewable energy technologies in the form of hydroelectric and geothermal power plants. In 2008, the Renewable Energy Act was passed and as of 2015, wind and solar energy penetration have been fast, resulting in the adjustment of the Feed-in-Tariffs after only a year of implementation.

The objective of this study is to provide a system and life cycle cost-benefit analysis of renewable energy technologies to provide a systematic and quantitative basis for policy recommendations in the context of the Philippines. Costs and benefits will be estimated in the three sustainability aspects of environment, society, and economy from 2015-2030. This is a multi-year study that looks into the various renewable energy technologies employed in the Philippines. In its first year, focus was placed on wind energy farms. This year, focus will be placed on solar and hydropower technologies followed by biomass and geothermal in 2017. Analysis will focus on performance metrics including CO₂ emissions, criteria air pollutants, and levelized cost of energy to measure sustainability impacts namely, climate change, health impacts, and cost of energy, respectively. Socio-political acceptability will also be investigated for a more comprehensive analysis. Results will be used to guide energy policy-making and the integration of renewable energy technologies.

Output: database of life cycle climate, health, and cost impacts of wind, solar, and hydro power technologies in the Philippines; policy recommendations on integration of solar, wind, or hyrdro into the Philippine power system

Li-ion Battery versus Lead Acid Battery: Life Cycle and Cost Analysis in Electric Vehicles in the Philippines

Asst. Prof. Mikhael Jhud Aberilla (Project Leader), Asst. Prof. Dr. Joey D. Ocon (Co-Project Leader),  Asst. Prof. Dr. Mili-Ann Tamayao (Co-Project Leader)

In recent years, awareness of sustainable energy has been growing in the general public as well as with policy makers. The transportation sector, being the biggest energy consuming sector in the country, has been the target of many projects. The Department of Energy (DOE) has been active in promoting cleaner transportation options, but these have be focused on alternative fuels and demonstration runs of electric vehicles (EV). Public acceptance has not gone beyond seeing EV’s as novelty technologies due to the general lack of supporting infrastructure systems such as charging stations, maintenance/repair services, and end-of-life management. There is also the high cost of ownership, which limits the penetration of EV’s into the vehicle market.

To realize DOE’s goals of decreased oil dependence and carbon emissions, the adoption of EV’s, especially for public transportation, should become more widespread. For EV’s to successfully substitute current vehicle technologies, performance of the energy storage device or battery pack should be comparable to fuel-based engines. However, new technologies should also be assessed throughout its life cycle to ensure that environmental burdens are not simply shifted from use phase to other stages. The objectives of this study is to (1) evaluate the technical and economic trade-offs between different types of energy storage devices (ESD) used in EV’s, (2) identify best options for transition and end-of-life management of EV’s, and (3) recommend key actions in technical policy formulation and implementation. This study will be limited to ESD’s which are presently used in EV’s, namely, Li-ion and lead acid. The LCA approach to be adopted is gate-to-grave.

Output: technical paper and research publication on the assessment of technical and economic impacts of different energy storage devices used in electric vehicles (Evs) in the Philippines

Market and Technology Assessment of Electrical Energy Storage for Renewable Energy in the Philippines

Asst. Prof. Dr. Joey D. Ocon (Co-Project Leader) and Asst. Prof. Dr. Rinlee Butch Cervera (Co-Project Leader)

The recent opening of the solar power plant in Negros and the newly planned wind farm in Guimaras demonstrate our country’s increasing share of renewable energy (RE) in the total energy mix. Despite these developments, however, there is still a gap in the energy supply and the demand today and it will most likely continue in the future if little actions are taken. The incongruity between peak and off-peak energy supply and demand, especially in the case of renewable energy sources, exacerbates the situation. The variability and uncertainty of wind power – and to a certain extent solar power – has highlighted the need for flexible resources as a means to integrate the renewable energy sources into the grid. This problem of intermittency of power supply from RE can be partly solved by efficiently storing energy in the power plants and moving it to where and when it is greatly needed. Energy sources, both conventional and renewable, when integrated with electrical energy storage (EES) systems, enable the use of energy in temporally and spatially distributed load applications – an important consideration in an archipelago like the Philippines. For emergency reasons as well, bringing power quickly in areas without electricity during calamities will help us save lives, as experienced in recent typhoon onslaughts. More than just integrating renewable energy storage, the capital costs of managing peak demands and the bigger investments needed for grid reliability drive the increasing interest in energy storage. This makes EES more relevant in a country, where we have one of most expensive electricity rates not just in Asia but also in the world. This proposal aims to study the existing and future market for EES, to identify and map the various EES technologies of various levels of maturity, and to suggest the EES technology of choice suitable for the scale and needs of the renewable energy sources and RE technologies existing in the Philippines.

Output: technical paper and research publication on market and technology assessment of electrical energy storage (EES) systems as a component of the Philippines power system with integrated renewable energy technologies

Standardization of Equipment Specification for Sustainability

Prof. Juvy A. Balbarona (Project Leader)

The objective is to develop compliance standards for the University of the Philippines Diliman which will serve as basis for the procurement policy of the University. Energy efficiency and environmental impact shall be the sustainability criteria. The result of the study will also serve as an input to the policy on disposal of equipment.

Output: U.P. System equipment compliance standards

Pilot Energy Audit – U.P.-Diliman

This work aims to determine the baseline energy consumption patterns of the U.P.-Diliman campus with eye toward identifying conservation and efficiency opportunities and their corresponding sustainability impacts. The pilot phase involves designing of methods and materials for performing an energy audit that will be used for a full energy audit in UP-Diliman and other system campuses. Results from this study will be published in a reputable journal and will be used as input for a campus sustainable energy system.

Output: Energy consumption pattern of top 15 building energy consumers in U.P. Diliman; U.P. Energy Audit Kit

Renewable Energy Database for Resource Assessment

This study aims to build community-based renewable energy resource availability database with the cooperation of local government units. Building a data base for renewable energy potential that is indigenous to localities at the community level may help spread the benefits of access to energy, contend with the future energy needs and the eventual exhaustion of non-renewable energy resources, along with mitigation of climate change to some extent. At present times, the data for assessing energy resources can be quite cost prohibitive, especially when conducted by various private developers. A large premium is placed on such information, that prohibits wide spread deployment of renewable energy technologies. Resource data might not even be made available.

Output: community-based renewable energy resource availability database, one each for Province of Cagayan, Province of Mindoro, and Province of Leyte

Other Activities