The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) of the Philippines issued 4,124 new Certificates of Compliance (COCs) to qualified end-users under its net-metering program last year.

The new prosumers generate an additional 37.935 MW of capacity from renewable energy facilities, which the ERC says supports their own consumption or, if there is any excess, is exported or sold to the distribution system.

Most (3,200) of the new registrations are located on the country’s largest island, Luzon, while 722 are on Visayas, and 202 are on Mindanao.

The ERC has entered into an agreement with electric power distribution company Meralco and the City Government of Pasig, and another with More Electric and Power Corp. and the City Government of Iloilo, to set up one-stop shops increasing public awareness of the net-metering programme and facilitating applications to the scheme. It plans to continue this work in 2024.

“The Net Metering Program is one of the cornerstones of energy democracy,” said ERC Chairperson and CEO Monalisa C. Dimalanta. “It allows for consumers to produce their own power and even supply others with electricity beyond their own needs.”

“We are committed to enabling all our consumers to have a greater hold of our energy destiny as we continue to streamline the permitting requirements and make it easier for end-users to enjoy the benefits of the programs.”

Since the implementation of the net-metering programme in 2015, the ERC has issued a total of 11,707 COCs, equivalent to 101.251 MW of capacity.

In November 2022, Philippines increased its net-metering size limit to 1 MW, up from a 100 kW threshold introduced in 2008.

The Philippines aims to install 15 GW of clean energy by 2030, according to a 2022 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency.