dium wp-image-575″ title=”crescentedelosreyespicture” src=”http://www.breakthroughinnovationgrant.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/crescentedelosreyespicture-300×225.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”225″ />

Constructors and Designers Without Borders (CDWB) is a non-profit association founded in Chino Hills, California in 2006. CDWB is partnering with ANCOP to “Let the Last be First” or to make the poor be the vanguard of solar energy. ANCOP or Answering the Cry of the Poor is an international non-profit organization founded in the Philippines in 1994. CDWB is the technical provider of the venture. With cooperation of solar power technocrats, educators of renewable energies, and solar energy consultants based in the U.S. and the Philippines, CDWB will install the PV system, maintain it, and provide hands on and classroom training to qualified trainees. It is CDWB’s goal is to train Filipino personnel in the design and installation of PV, a new occupation that is expected to command high wages.

Beginning in an ANCOP village in Metro Manila, this project will put poor communities in the forefront of solar energy by becoming solar power producer to the distribution utility such as MERALCO. This project allows the poor to be the first to use Feed In Tariff (FIT), a mechanism that would encourage the use of renewable energy..

Because of incentives provided by the Philippines’ Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, the generation of electricity for and by the “poor” in ANCOP villages through PV systems is a viable source of livelihood for the villagers. The project would provide steady source of income and opportunity for ANCOP to create more villages alleviating homelessness and poverty in the Philippines. The way to accomplish this is through what is called Aggregate Metering (AM). The ANCOP village can install more solar panels for the purpose of selling the extra power to the distribution utility at the FIT price. AM has the same effect of combining net metering and micro scale project at FIT rate.

Market potential for aggregate metering is great as the business model can be duplicated by several non-profit villages and for-profit subdivisions all over the Philippines.

The installation of PV systems for this project will have competitive ROI because quality but less expensive materials (PV panels, inverters, wirings, etc.) are available world wide, especially in China, Japan, Korea, and Philippines. Labor cost will be reduced by minimizing high-priced consultants and maximizing participation of local trainees and workers. Salary of three Philippine foremen, for example, is approximately $1,000, which is only 1/10 of a consultant who may be priced at $10,000/month. Participation of volunteer expatriate-consultants will be sought and encouraged. Typical contractor’s mark-ups will be minimized.

Combining the two revenue systems above (net metering and micro solar farm), the expected income of a 172 KW village will be approximately $162,808.00/year (7,000,744.00 pesos/year).

The customers and beneficiaries of this project are the villagers-producers, the poor and rich people of the Philippines who need to be independent from foreign oil, and all inhabitants of planet earth who need to have clean land, water, and air.