Philippines solar power boom: Iran war spurs demand for renewable energy sources

This is an electric bill for a household of six in Manila. It's from January, just before the Iran War. The amount is equivalent to around $150. Now, five months later, this is the bill for the same six people. Almost double at around $280. Same refrigerator, same fans, same switches. Those rising prices are why there's been a surge of homeowners in the Philippines having solar panels installed on their rooftops. They've contributed to more than $400 million in solar panel imports. That's according to Chinese government trade data from March to May, making the country Beijing's largest single overseas market for that period. Now, the Netherlands purchased more, but it redistributes them to the rest of Europe. Keith Cantera is spending thousands of dollars to set up a 10-kilowatt grid that takes advantage of the tropical sunshine. But he says it's an investment. The cost is about the same as paying our electric bills for three or four years based on the current rate. But on the fifth year, we'll have recovered our investment and electricity will essentially be free. Power during the daytime is essentially free as the panels capture sunlight and the energy flows into the fuse box, which then powers the home's devices. Electricity prices in the Philippines were already high, but why? Look up. There are many, many of these so-called spaghetti cables throughout the country. And within these are illegal connections that are charged to paying customers. But more importantly, because it relies mostly on imported coal and gas. So when a conflict erupts in the Middle East and energy supplies are choked, prices go up. Independent contractors say business has never been better. The demand has been so huge, we've been having a hard time keeping up. Solar panel shipments couldn't keep up. Since March, our monthly clientele has doubled. But while the current boom is driven by private demand, a 3,500 hectare solar farm is being constructed and is projected to become the world's largest. One of dozens of renewable energy projects in the pipeline that signal a recognition by the government that the most cost-efficient source of power is up in the sky. Barna Bilo, Al Jazeera, Manila.