Bicol University in Valenzuela Solar Energy, Inc.

Upon learning from the Events Unit of our department that the engineering students of Bicol University (B.U.) will be touring the Solar Power Farm in Barangay Isla, a feeling of nostalgia tinged my senses because it has been a couple of years already since I last visited my mother’s province – Albay.

B.U. is a prestigious school in Region Five. Only brainiacs can study there just like U.P. I have plenty of elementary classmates who went there in college and they’re quite successful now. I’m pretty sure a handful of students who visited ValSol (short for Valenzuela Solar Energy, Inc.) will also go places soon.

Engr. Edwin Chao, former construction manager of ValSol, has been a very accommodating and knowledgeable tour guide at the plant. He patiently answered all the queries of the students from the most mundane to the most hypothetically logical.

The 12-hectare ValSol used to be a robust fish farm in Barangay Isla. Unfortunately, because of pollution, fish and fingerlings were no longer able to survive there, leaving the fishpond business owners compelled to put their properties to better use, hence the conversion of the place into a promising and earth-friendly industry.

Engr. Chao said that ValSol’s area is definitely an ideal space for the plant because it is accessible and there are no high-rise buildings around the place. The plant is typhoon-ready for it is constructed 2.7 meters above sea level. Their basis for the elevation of the plant is the strongest typhoon that devastated Valenzuela, Ondoy, which only reached 1.7 meters above sea level.

It is interesting to note that apart from accommodating city tourists to their plant, part of ValSol’s corporate social responsibility are job generation for the barangay residents and the provision of solar panels to Isla Elementary School.

ValSol, which will commence its operation next month, is expected to produce 8.5 megawatts of power supply. Each of its 32,692 solar panels generates 260 watts.