Alternative Energy

I first discovered the wonders of solar energy in 2009 while assigned on a mission island in the Babuyanes. My parish was on an island that is sixty nautical miles away from mainland Aparri in Luzon. When I first arrived on the island in 2008, most of the residents were using kerosene lamps or candles for lighting. A few houses used generators as source of energy, but I can tell that these were those who can afford to spend on fuel. They usually turn on their generators as soon as the sun set and would turn it off by 9:00 or 10:00 in the evening when it is time for them to go to sleep.

A friend of mine gave me a box of solar garden lamps when she found out that my assignment was on a remote island without electricity. It contained 10 sets of lamps, with a small solar panel on top, about 2 inches by 2 inches square and a double A battery inside. The battery is charged by exposing the small built-in solar panel to sunlight. Once it gets dark, the light inside the lamp automatically lights up. The small 1 watt lights served as dim lights inside the house.

In my desire to save on fuel used for generator and to look for alternative sources of energy, I discovered a shop in Binondo, Manila that sells solar panels and windmills. At first, I tried the small 5 watts and 10 watts panels and small 12 volts batteries, very much like those used on motorcycles. It can effectively supply power to LED lights as much as 5 watts. Later on when I found out that solar energy was both effective and efficient, little by little I acquired bigger solar panels from 20 watts up to 100 watts. Thanks to my practical arts subject in my high school days that taught me the basic principles of electronics, I was able to set up the solar system on a do-it-yourself basis. Because of solar energy, I was able to provide power in my mission house to be used even with laptop computers, printers and television sets. During my stay on the island, I also came to discover other solar gadgets that were very useful like flashlight, cellular phone charger, AM and FM radio and mobile device speaker.

When I transferred to Gen. Santos City in 2012, there were frequent brownouts that sometimes extended up to six or even eight hours a day. This was when solar panels came very useful, even if it was just to supply energy for lights. When typhoon Pablo devastated Compostela Valley in December 2012, solar panels were very useful for lights at night and also to charge cellular phones. These were what I sent to help the Dominican Sisters of the Trinity in Monkayo and the parish priest in New Bataan.

Just recently, in the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda, where many areas in the Visayas were left without any source of power, solar power has been an effective source of alternative energy. I have sent solar energy kits to a few friends, which I bought from CD-R King. It comes complete with a small solar panel, battery pack and LED lights. It can even charge cellular phones as well. Because of the need for energy in the typhoon affected areas, I thought of raising funds for Coron, Palawan. By selling t-shirts and through donations from generous donors, we were able to raise funds to send and set up solar charging stations to a few selected island barangays in Coron. These solar set ups can supply power for lights and to charge cellular phones and rechargeable flashlights. With the recent news of power rates increase, we should now think of using alternative energy.