In photo: Spectrum President & CEO Ferdinand O. Geluz (left) presented a Plaque of Appreciation to Wilcon President & CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan (right) during the ceremonial launch of the solar project held on March 22 in Antipolo City.
Spectrum, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), has partnered with Wilcon Depot, Inc. to support the latter’s push for sustainability through the utilization of solar energy.
Spectrum was tapped by Wilcon to install a total of 1,306.46-kilowatt peak of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for its branches located in Antipolo, Rizal; General Trias, Cavite; Tayabas, Quezon; Jaro, Iloilo; and Makato, Aklan.
The solar panels will have a combined annual generation capacity of 1.7 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy and are expected to reduce Wilcon’s carbon footprint by 1,222 tons annually. This is equivalent to 2.5 million trees planted.
The solar PV systems will also allow Wilcon to save as much as P5.15 million in energy costs every year.
The project forms part of Wilcon’s plan to power its entire store network with solar PV systems aligned with its goal to become a more sustainable company.
Top officials from Spectrum and Wilcon on March 22 led the launch of the solar project in one of Wilcon stores in Antipolo City.
“Wilcon Depot has partnered with Spectrum in support of our sustainability journey as they speak quality, character, and excellent service in each project. We are thankful to have such an outstanding organization in enabling Wilcon to achieve our sustainability goals,”
Wilcon President and CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan said during the event.
For his part, Spectrum President and CEO Ferdinand O. Geluz said: “We are also thankful for the opportunity to develop Wilcon’s solar facility requirements in five stores. We admire that Wilcon had the foresight on how to contribute in easing the impact of unstable prices of fuel, low supply from generation companies, and harnessed the power of the sun through the use idle roof space. Not only does it reduce carbon footprint, it also lessens energy costs which drives operational efficiency.”
“What we offer at Spectrum is a one-stop shop solar solution-supporting Meralco’s promise to customers of being their trusted end-to-end energy solutions provider,” said Geluz, who is also Meralco FVP and Chief Commercial Officer.
Through its customer-centric approach, Meralco paved the way for this partnership by introducing Spectrum upon hearing Wilcon’s plan to take a big leap towards sustainability.
The project weaves the country’s largest distribution utility into Wilcon’s sustainability story. Prior to entering a partnership with Spectrum, Meralco provided its expertise in addressing power quality concerns in Wilcon’s stores, helping ensure business continuity which became even more crucial amid the pandemic.
Spectrum offers tailor-fit solutions for industrial, commercial, and residential customers through an in-depth understanding of energy consumption behaviors and strategic partnerships with world-class technology partners.
Meanwhile, Wilcon is a listed home improvement and construction supplies company with 74 stores nationwide, of which 39 branches are already powered by solar PVs.
