Pilar town saves on fuel with wind power cell site
by JGA (12/30/07 at 11:54:08 PM)
The Philippines may be a typhoon-prone country, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.
An electrical supplies and services company, Powercity Corp., is harnessing wind power for cellular sites.
"The Philippines has one of the richest energy in the world" said engineer Wilson Teh, president and general manager of Powercity.
He created the wind power cell site, making use of wind rather than fuel as power.
"This is the latest innovation for a clean, environment-friendly, alternative energy supply," Teh said. He found an ally in Smart Communications Inc.
Smart and Powercity have put up a cell site in Pilar, Camotes, Cebu, some five and a half hours away from mainland Cebu via pumpboat.
This is only the second wind power cellular tower in Cebu. The first one was erected in Malapascua Island.
"We are targeting 40 sites by the end of the year powered by wind. It's our contribution to the environment... the commitment to use renewable energy," Jane Paredes, Smart public affairs manager for Visayas and Mindanao, told Sun.Star Cebu.
The Municipality of Pilar has the same thrust. Pilar is a marine sanctuary area with mangroves outlining the island.
Municipal Mayor Jesus "Jet" Fernandez said the biggest contribution of the cell tower to the 12,000 inhabitants of the island is communication on weather.
"Communication during bad weather is important because the waves might be so big. We will be sure that our loved ones will reach their destination," Fernandez told Sun.Star Cebu.
Smart has been servicing the area for five years but it was only recently that the cell tower made use of natural energy.
Before the tower, the municipality relied solely on landline that only operates during office hours.
Fernandez, Paredes, Teh and Vice Mayor Rommel Tajo led the blessing and inauguration of the wind power cell tower last Wednesday, witnessed by some councilors, members of the media and residents.
Another contribution of the cell site is on tourism, which Pilar is also known for because of its beaches.
"It is important for tourism especially since there are many resorts opening here. It's easier to make arrangements for reservations or room accommodations. And again, to check on the weather," Fernandez noted.
The wind power cell tower saves at least six drums of fuel a month, said Teh.
With each drum containing 200 liters of fuel, and with fuel costing an average of P40 per liter, a wind power cellsite can save an area more than P500,000 a year.
In the case of Pilar, Teh said the municipality is saving nine drums of fuel per month.
Teh also showed reporters a map of the Philippines showing that in most provinces, the wind power cell site is feasible. Even in Cebu City, an urban area, it is also viable but should be located in an elevated place so as not to be impeded by buildings.
Powercity and Smart will put up 12 more wind power cell sites in the Visayas alone. Between 33 and 40 more are expected in the whole country before the year ends.
