Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
1. INTRODUCTION
The Philippines’ total consumption is dependent upon In order to attain this goal, there is a need to
traditional hydrocarbon sources of energy. Oil consumption, recognize the factors that hinders the development of
at 53 percent, accounted for the majority of the Philippines’ renewable energy. The following sections of this paper will
final energy consumption mix in 2005, followed by coal at discuss the constraints that hinder the further development
19 percent. Renewable energy sources comprised 15 percent of renewable energy [6].
2. LACK OF AWARNESS AND INTEREST IN 3. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-CULUTRAL
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES CONCERNS
As an example to this factor is the utilization of geothermal In geothermal development, these concerns are considered
energy in the country. There has been limited private sector as critical factors. There is a need for the harmonization of
investment in steam field development. In fact, there are NIPAS (National Integrated Protected Areas System Act)
only two geothermal steam field in the country, namely and IPRA (Indigenous People’s Right Act) as these pose
PNOC-EDC which operates a majority of the existing problems to renewable energy investors in prospect areas
geothermal contract areas and PGI (Philippine Geothermal that are both protected areas and ancestral land.
Incorporated) which is a subsidiary of the Union Oil of
California (UNOCAL). These concerns are also resistance to the further
development of hydropower projects, particularly large
Another is the commercialization of hydropower hydro, due to the potential for upstream flooding,
technology. There is a need to further develop and destruction of agricultural areas and animal habitat and
commercialize suitable micro hydro technology in the disruption of communities in the affected areas [1].
country, even as hydropower technology for large and small
projects is proven and mature. The effect of this problem 3.1. Wind energy
causes the country to remains dependent on imported
electro-mechanical equipment for micro hydro projects [1]. It is hard to imagine an energy source more benevolent to
the environment than wind power; it produces no air or
This has been perhaps the most underestimated water pollution, involves no toxic or hazardous substances,
problem in implementing Renewable energy in the country. and poses no threat to public safety. And yet a serious
If Renewable Energy would be given much attention by the obstacle facing the wind industry is public opposition
government then perhaps the private companies would reflecting concern over the visibility and noise of wind
follow or at least the general public would know the gradual turbines, and their impacts on wilderness areas.
decrease of energy sources. Up to now there are only few
companies in the industry of renewable energy the largest Although the wind turbines themselves occupy only a
operator would be the PNOC-EDC. The other businessman small fraction of land area, in other settings however, wind
is not fully aware of how the renewable energy in turn could power development can create serious land-use conflicts. In
give more stable cash flow to them if they have investment forested areas it may mean clearing trees and cutting roads,
on it. The equipments are really expensive but it is the a prospect that is sure to generate controversy, except
investment that businessman would really need to prioritize possibly in areas where heavy logging has already occurred.
because finding renewable energy in the country is not that And near populated areas, wind projects often run into stiff
hard nowadays given the technology and the archipelago opposition from people who regard them as unsightly and
type of our country. There are many islands not yet noisy, or who fear their presence may reduce property
discovered that may possess other renewable energy sources values. In appropriate areas, and with imagination, careful
such as Geothermal Energy which has the most potential for planning, and early contacts between the wind industry,
development in the country. environmental groups, and affected communities and
environmental problems should not be undefeatable.
There is no interest coming from the general public
itself as one if the reasons for it are there is no program 3.2. Solar energy
coming from the government to really advertise this
industry. The public is really not mindful of using energy Since solar power systems generate no air pollution during
especially electricity as that what they only know is the cost operation, the primary environmental, health, and safety
of it is getting higher due to the companies problem and not issues involve how they are manufactured, installed, and
because of the decline in energy source. The government is ultimately disposed. Energy is required to manufacture and
not promoting the use of any alternative source of energy install solar components, and any fossil fuels used for this
which could really be a big savings to every Filipino home purpose will generate emissions. Although this varies
like the installation of solar home panels. It is expensive depending upon the technology and climate, the energy
indeed but the long term effect of it would definitely balance is generally favorable to solar systems in
outweigh the installation cost of the solar panels. If this applications where they are cost effective, and it is
project would be introduce in some of the barangays here in improving with each successive generation of technology.
the National Capital Region then people or the general
public would start to notice the savings from the electricity. Materials used in some solar systems can create health
and safety hazards for workers and anyone else coming into
contact with them. In particular, the manufacturing of
photovoltaic cells often requires hazardous materials such as steam or hot water as it passes through the rocks. The large
arsenic and cadmium. Even relatively inert silicon, a major amounts of chemicals released when geothermal fields are
material used in solar cells, can be hazardous to workers if it tapped for commercial production can be hazardous or
is breathed in as dust. Workers involved in manufacturing objectionable to people living and working nearby.
photovoltaic modules and components must consequently be
protected from exposure to these materials. There is an Usually the best disposal method is to inject liquid
additional-probably very small-danger that hazardous fumes wastes or redissolved solids back into a porous stratum of a
released from photovoltaic modules attached to burning geothermal well. This technique is especially important at
homes or buildings could injure fire fighters. None of these geopressured power plants because of the sheer volume of
potential hazards is much different in quality or magnitude wastes they produce each day. Wastes must be injected well
from the innumerable hazards people face routinely in an below fresh water aquifers to make certain that there is no
industrial society. Through effective regulation, the dangers communication between the usable water and waste-water
can very likely be kept at a very low level. strata. Leaks in the well casing at shallow depths must also
be prevented.
The large amount of land required for poses an
additional problem, especially where wildlife protection is a Most geothermal power plants will require a large
concern. But this problem is not unique to solar power amount of water for cooling or other purposes. In places
plants. Solar-thermal plants (like most conventional power where water is in short supply, this need could raise
plants) also require cooling water, which may be costly or conflicts with other users for water resources. The
scarce in desert areas. development of hydrothermal energy faces a special
problem. Many hydrothermal reservoirs are located in or
Large central power plants are not the only option for near wilderness areas of great natural. Proposed
generating energy from sunlight, however, and are probably developments in such areas have aroused intense opposition.
among the least promising. Because sunlight is dispersed, If hydrothermal-electric development is to expand much
small-scale, dispersed applications are a better match to the further in the Philippines, reasonable compromises will have
resource. They can take advantage of unused space on the to be reached between environmental groups and industry.
roofs of homes and buildings and in urban and industrial
lots. And, in solar building designs, the structure itself acts 3.4. Hydroelectric power
as the collector, so there is no need for any additional space
at all. From an electricity production standpoint, one of the leading
benefits of hydropower is its unique ability to almost
3.3. Geothermal energy instantaneously produce electricity as consumers require it.
When demand is up, more water is released from above the
The various geothermal resource types differ in many dam, through the turbines and into the river downstream. As
respects, but they raise a common set of environmental demand wanes, water flow is reduced. The resulting
issues. Air and water pollution are two leading concerns, modifications in stream flow can have both immediate and
along with the safe disposal of hazardous waste, siting, and long-term impacts on aquatic life and on basic components
land subsidence. Since these resources would be exploited of water quality (e.g., temperature, dissolved oxygen,
in a highly centralized fashion, reducing their environmental dissolved nitrogen).
impacts to an acceptable level should be relatively easy. But
it will always be difficult to site plants in scenic or Usually rivers are blocked and a lake forms behind the
otherwise environmentally sensitive areas. dam. This changes the entire ecosystem of the environment.
Fish that require fast moving water (trout, salmon) give way
The method used to convert geothermal steam or hot to fish that prefer lakes (carp, catfish). Animals that
water to electricity directly affects the amount of waste depended on the fast moving river have to adapt to the new
generated. Closed-loop systems are almost totally safe, since environment, move to another location, or even die.
gases or fluids removed from the well are not exposed to the
atmosphere and are usually injected back into the ground Dams have an effect on fish passage. They can
after giving up their heat. Although this technology is more fragment a river system, impede or block fish movement,
expensive than conventional open-loop systems, in some and kill or injure fish. The viability and mobility of fish
cases it may reduce scrubber and solid waste disposal costs species that would otherwise move to and from different
enough to provide a significant economic advantage [3]. habitats within a river system may diminish substantially, if
not completely, due to a hydropower project. In addition to
Open-loop systems, on the other hand, can generate their direct benefits to society, these fish may also be
large amounts of solid wastes as well as noxious fumes. important components of food webs that support
Metals, minerals, and gases leach out into the geothermal
populations of other commercially and recreationally knocked off due to the fast rate of corrosion from
important species. geothermal fluids.
Water impoundment’s and flow changes affect not just One thing that concerns this is the cost of the
the river itself, but the associated streamside (riparian) and technology that maybe used. The problem is harnessing
wetland habitats. Load following exacerbates riverbank renewable energy requires a lot of money up front in order
erosion and harms fish, invertebrates, amphibians, another to obtain technologies and gadgets that would help in the
aquatic life and reservoirs may flood land used by avian and exploration, plant construction and other activities.
terrestrial species. Corridors needed for transmission lines Although renewable technologies have decreased
may also fragment habitats and create flight hazards to significantly, particularly for wind and photovoltaic
migratory birds, and maintaining corridors with herbicides systems, their costs are still higher than those used for
may cause adverse effects to plants and wildlife [8]. conventional grid-based electricity generation [1].