The VSU Renewable Energy Research Center (RERC) is calling for government agencies and private sectors to partner in bringing renewable energy technologies to communities across Eastern Visayas. Interested partners may reach RERC through rerc@vsu.edu.ph or contact 0970-455-8965 to discuss future collaborations.

The initiative aims to push for a sustainable future by empowering communities with knowledge, expertise and technical proficiency in renewable energy technologies.

RERC is a research center pioneering in innovative renewable energy (RE) research, development and promotion in Eastern Visayas. It aims to provide sustainable energy solutions that empower local agro-industrial development, mitigate climate change and empower communities.

Since its establishment in 1988, the center’s research has produced a growing portfolio of RE technologies that harness natural resources and convert waste to energy. RERC recently began its extension activities and has just conducted two seminars and training sessions on solar energy reaching more than 100 participants across Baybay City.

Aiming to raise the bar, RERC calls for collaborative partnerships focused on the following:

• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies – Solar Panel Installation, Wiring and Basic Maintenance for Households
• Solar-powered irrigation systems for smaller farms
• Agrivoltaic awareness and adoption for farming communities
• Solar dryers for post harvest crop processing
• Biogas digester construction and maintenance using agricultural/livestock waste
• Rice husk/coconut husk gasification for small-scale power generation
• Micro-hydro system feasibility for communities near river/streams
• Household energy audits and conservation practices
• Energy-efficient cooking technologies
• Basic electrical safety and load management for off-grid systems
• Hybrid renewable energy systems (combining solar, biogas, or wind and water energy systems)
• Livelihood opportunities for renewable energy
• Cooperative-based renewable energy models for barangays or farmer associations

This activity does not only provide knowledge and expertise, but also offers resilience to communities, as Eastern Visayas remains one of the most vulnerable areas to typhoons. Through the utilization of RE technology, dependency on a centralized power grid is reduced, with decentralized systems such as solar PV systems, biogas digesters, and micro-hydro set-ups serving as alternative sources of energy that keep power running even when transmission lines are down, making renewable energy adoption a disaster preparedness measure as well.

The program also supports national goals. It aligns with the Renewable Energy Act (RA 9513) of the Philippines, the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Program and the SDGs 7 and 13. This partnership also gives future partners a way to fulfill their mandates and climate action plans, allowing them to advance their commitments to climate action and disaster resilience through hands-on community programs.

Currently, the center’s extension work is already underway, with a  few extension activities already accomplished. RERC has also proposed upcoming projects, which will extend similar seminars and hands-on training in renewable energy technologies across the region.

“These collaborative partnerships will provide valuable opportunities to our stakeholders and will significantly contribute to the region’s development plants”, said Engr. Feliciano Sinon Jr, RERC Director. “Beyond our extension projects, the center is also open to other partnerships that focus on or utilize renewable energy technologies.”

Through this effort, RERC hopes to expand community access to renewable energy by building long-lasting knowledge about these technologies, their benefits, applications and their role in making Eastern Visayas more sustainable and resilient.