ERC, Meralco vow faster net-metering approvals for solar power users

MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) have vowed to speed up the approval and energization of rooftop solar power systems, as complaints of delays were raised during a Senate committee hearing.

Senate committee on energy chairperson Sen. Erwin Tulfo raised the issue during the hearing on Thursday, saying that he knew people who wanted to install rooftop solar power panels but were discouraged by reports of lengthy approval periods for net-metering from Meralco.

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Net-metering is a system that lets a household with solar panels send excess electricity back to the power grid and receive credits for the electricity it exports.

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ERC representative lawyer Clarice Ann Bernal said the commission would coordinate with Meralco and other distribution utilities regarding the concerns.

Tulfo also suggested that the approval process could be shortened, proposing that Meralco conduct its inspection and issue approval within 24 hours when feasible.

Bernal said the ERC is currently drafting new net-metering rules that would seek to fast-track applications.

“Dun po sa aming new rules, we will ensure na ma-fast track na po ang mga net metering applications,” Bernal said.

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(For our new rules, we will ensure that net-metering applications are fast-tracked.)

To emphasize his point, Tulfo said some homeowners had already spent between P500,000 and more than P1 million on solar installations but were still waiting for approval before they could fully benefit from the system’s net-metering arrangement.

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“Meron daw po iba, waiting, there weeks. May iba, one month,” he said.

(There are others, waiting for three weeks. Others, for one month.)

Meralco Vice President and Head of Utility Economics Lawrence Fernandez said the process involves several steps and requires coordination among distribution utilities, local government units (LGUs), the Department of Energy, and the ERC.

“The industry, with the LGUs and the ERC, has been trying to streamline the whole process to make it, to expedite it for all customers,” said Fernandez.

Citing an example, Fernandez said the chief of the ERC’s Renewable Energy Division had recently installed a rooftop solar system that was energized in less than 20 days from start to finish.

Meralco’s portion of the process took only three days in that case, he said.

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The panel chairperson then asked the ERC to further examine the reported delays. /gsg