Ringing in the Year of the Wood Dragon, Meralco Biz is amped to empower businesses to achieve their 2024 goals through its suite of services and solutions.
For businesses with a power demand of 5 to 499kW – whether they are pursuing new ventures, recovering from a setback, or planning to expand this year, Meralco Biz is equipped to understand, anticipate, and address their needs at any stage of their business journey.
As early as the planning stage, businesses can avail of free Power Consult, where their Biz Partner Manager can assist them in choosing the right location, and ensuring the timely energization of their new store or branch. Secondly, Meralco Biz provides businesses with tailor-fit solutions to future-proof their operations while maintaining cost efficiency. Lastly, Meralco Biz is capable of empowering businesses through innovative solutions such as solar panels and electric vehicles.
Turning a setback into a comeback
Among the several entrepreneurs that Meralco Biz successfully empowered is ‘Lord of Scents’ Joel Cruz, who had to pivot to a new business concept when the sales of his perfume brand, Aficionado, declined in 2020 due to mall closures. He eventually launched Takoyatea by Joel Cruz alongside his niece and sister-in-law, who were earning well from selling takoyaki and milk tea.
While building Takoyatea’s commissary, Cruz availed of Meralco’s Power Consult which allowed him to save on construction costs and power up the facility just in time for their target opening. Moreover, as Cruz had long been interested in utilizing solar energy to save on electricity bills and protect the environment, Meralco Biz introduced the benefits of renewable energy. This ushered in a seamless partnership with MSpectrum, a solar power company built with Meralco’s energy expertise and service standards, to install solar panels in their commissary. To maximize their investment, Cruz also enrolled in Meralco’s Net Metering solution. This allows Takoyatea to get bill credits for the excess electricity generated by the solar panels that are exported to the Meralco grid.
Takoyatea generated significant savings from their solar panels and Net Metering, which Cruz invested in additional solar panels that were installed at the Aficionado manufacturing plant and warehouse in Bulacan.
With all these benefits from his partnership with Meralco Biz, Cruz said he could allocate more resources to make Aficionado and Takoyatea more competitive internationally. “With the savings we’re generating through Meralco, I can soon buy my fifth building in California and even help give employment to Filipinos there,” he said.
Setting up the foundation for success
Setting up the foundation for success through close collaborations. (In photo from left, Northbay Polaris Cold Storage, Inc. Operations Manager Rommel Luzuriaga and President James Udquin, Meralco Biz Partner Manager Owen Pineda, and Meralco Biz Zone Officer Mervin Jeff San Diego.)
Another business that Meralco Biz has successfully empowered is Northbay Polaris Cold Storage, Inc., a cold storage solutions provider for meat, marine, farm, and poultry products. The company’s president, James Daniel Udquin, commended Meralco Biz for the safe and hassle-free energization of their facility, a critical requirement that gave them ample time to test their equipment, which spared them from any financial loss had there been equipment issues that may have caused delays.
Udquin also emphasized the importance of having a reliable energy source to support his company’s power-intensive operations. Meralco’s reliable service has prevented them from using their generator set, which would have required almost Php30,000 worth of diesel fuel to power their building per day.
Given the extensive power requirements of their cold storage facility, Udquin explored other means to bring down their operating cost which led to a collaboration with MSpectrum, that enabled them to generate savings of almost Php1M in the first year of using solar energy. To ensure the safety of their operations and the stability of Meralco’s power supply while also getting power through their solar panels, he signed up for Meralco’s Zero Export solution.
“It is important for us to implement energy management strategies to help reduce our costs. We are grateful for this alternative solution that allows us to save on electricity expenses as well as reduce our carbon footprint, contributing to cleaner energy through our solar panels,” said Udquin.
Brighter 2024 with Meralco Biz
Just like how Cruz and Udquin were empowered to achieve operational efficiency and grow their businesses through sustainable practices, Meralco Biz is ready to power businesses toward a brighter 2024.
Engr. Roberto Galang, PEE, ACPE, Assistant Vice President and Head of Meralco Biz, concluded: “As a trusted partner of businesses, Meralco Biz is committed to providing end-to-end energy solutions that they need to propel their business forward. Our future-ready services and innovative solutions are set to empower entrepreneurs wherever they are in their business journey.”
To learn more about how Meralco Biz can empower your business this Year of the Wood Dragon, book a FREE Power Consult email at biz@meralco.com.ph, call the hotline at 16210, or contact your Biz Partner Manager.