Wind Energy:

Subtitle
Electricity is already an indispensable part of the lives of people in the modern world.
According to records as of December 12, 2013, only 70% of the total households in the
Philippines are being supplied with electricity. But these numbers are continuously increasing by
7% per year, thus escalating the demand for energy. If people do not find a more reliable source
of power by the coming years, Luzon will most probably face a power shortage by 2015
(Ranada, 2013). The possible power shortage in the Philippines, especially Luzon, can be
prevented only if a reliable source of energy can be utilized in the region.
The utilization of renewable energy sources is a way to meet the region's demand for
energy. Renewable energy, as defined in Merriam-Webster (2012), is energy capable of being
replaced by natural ecological cycles or sound management practices. There are many types of
renewable energy including energy from the sun, water, the earth, and the wind. Among these
four, only solar and wind energy have not been utilized in the province of Laguna. The
construction of wind turbines through the authorization of wind power projects in Laguna can be
the best way to prevent the growing shortage of energy resources in the province since it can
provide sufficient power at a low cost, sustain electric distribution at a long duration, and present
a high possibility of construction.
Laguna is already on the verge of experiencing an energy shortage due to insufficient
energy produced by power generators in the region. Currently, the Manila Electric Company
(MERALCO) is the largest distributor of electricity in the province. MERALCO distributes

electricity to most parts of Laguna with the exception of the 4th district of Laguna. The National
Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) supplies usable power to MERALCO. NAPOCOR obtains
usable power from several power plants that generate electricity such as hydroelectric power
plants, geothermal power plants, and those that use fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas to
produce electricity. Though NAPOCOR also supplies power from power plants that utilize
renewable energy, it relies mostly on fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas as an energy
source. These fossil fuels are obtained from foreign countries and are therefore expensive, which
makes the cost of electricity in the Philippines one of the highest in Asia (Ranada, 2013). Fossil
fuels are sources of energy which are being formed within a span of millions of years even
before the beginning of civilization but are being used up at a rapid rate in a short period of
occupation of humans on Earth (Kraushaar & Ristinen, 1988).
Though the province of Laguna already has two power plants that utilize renewable
energy as power source, it is still not enough to sustain the demand of power consumers in the
province. With the Mount Makiling and Mount Banahaw, the two inactive volcanoes in the
province, a geothermal power plant called Mak-ban has been constructed in Bay, Laguna. A
hydroelectric power plant has also been built along the Caliraya Lake in Kalayaan, Laguna in an
effort to increase the amount of electricity entering the power grid.
Despite the added electricity in the power grid provided by Mak-ban and Caliraya, the
municipalities and cities in Laguna under MERALCO still experiences rotational power
shutdowns. This is because the energy reserve in the national power grid becomes insufficient to
provide electricity to the whole province at the same time. Also, the rotational power shutdowns
are due to maintainance of power plants and transmission outages, defined as the interruption in

the flow of electric current, in the southern part of Luzon (MERALCO, 2014 as cited in
Fernandez & Locsin, 2014).
Utilizing power from the wind is a good choice when it comes to using renewable energy
for the generation of electricity. Wind power is energy generated from the wind through the use
of wind turbines as generators of electricity. Wind is generated through differences in the amount
of heat received by surfaces of the earth (Kraushaar & Ristinen, 1988) The energy generated
from the wind is converted to electricity through wind turbines, which are machine built for this
process (Manwell, Mcgowan & Rogers, 2009).
The history of wind turbines is traced since the tenth century, where Persians build
windmills for grinding corn and other grains (Reynolds, 1970). The construction of wind
turbines follow a strict design with some options for the properties of each part (Manwell,
Mcgowan & Rogers, 2009).
Energy is extracted from the wind through conversion of kinetic energy to mechanical
energy by the rotor blades of a wind turbine then from mechanical energy to usable electricity by
the generator of the wind turbine (International Science Panel on Renewable Energies, 2009).
The generated electricity then enters the national power grid and is available for distribution and
use.
The use of wind power as an addition to the sources of electricity in Laguna is the best
option to prevent the impending power crisis in the province. Energy from the wind can generate
a sufficient amount of power at a low cost. Since wind is well-distributed in an environment, it
can be utilized anytime on both rural and urban locations.

According to the United Nations (1981), the winds of the earth could constantly produce
about 1 million to 10 million megawatts of electricity. The cost for the generation of electricity
from the wind will also be low since wind is not purchased by the generation company, but is
produced naturally. High cost of electricity is possible because of the capital investment used for
the construction and maintainance of wind turbines, but these costs can be decreased if structural
health management systems are implemented (ISPRE, 2009).
Energy from the wind is highly sustainable and will therefore be available for a long
period of time. Since wind can never be expelled from circulation, it will always be available for
power generation. The design of wind turbines can also be modified in such a way that they can
function efficiently for long durations (ISPRE, 2009).
Looking through the wind potential as a factor in assessing the feasibility for construction
of wind farms, it has been established that Laguna has a potential for the utilization of wind
energy. Wind farms, as described by Maxwell, Mcgowen, and Rogers (2009), are "concentrated
groups of wind turbines that are electrically and commercially tied together." The development
of a wind farm is done in six phases: initial selection of site for construction, assessment of
feasibility of the project in the area, submission of a planning application, construction,
operation, and reinstatement of the land title (Bossanyi, Burton, Jenkins & Sharpe, 2001). The
construction of a wind farm in an area is also dictated by the wind potential in that area, which
needs to meet ideal conditions to become an ideal site for construction (United Nations, 1981).
The foundations of wind turbines should be meticulously burried under the surface of the earth
for several safety reasons (Bossanyi, Burton, Jenkins & Sharpe, 2001).

In a paper presented by Dennis Elliot in a conference in September 2000, it was shown in

a wind map that Laguna has a wind power potential of 100-500 MW, exceeding the minimum
potential required for the construction of wind farms, thus implying that the utilization of wind
energy is possible in Laguna. As of August 2012, a proposal for a wind power project with the
power capacity of 40 MW has been put forth in Laguna by Alternergy Phil. Holdings
Corporation.
The utilization of wind energy has been proven to be of help in the prevention of the
growing power crisis in Laguna. Laguna has been experiencing an impending power crisis due to
the shortage of energy resources in the province. Wind energy has been used even by the ancient
people so people in the present should also be able to utilize it for their own good.
Laguna's potential for wind power generation can prevent the impending power crisis in
the province since wind power has the capacity to produce as well as sustain the production of
sufficient amounts of electricity in the province. The beginning of construction of the LumbanKalayaan wind power project should now be considered while Laguna's shortage in source of
energy is still not profound.