CLSU PUSHES SUSTAINABILITY WITH INNOVATIONS USING SOLAR ENERGY; SAVES MILLIONS IN ENERGY AND PRODUCTION COST

The commitment of Central Luzon State University (CLSU) to be a. green university officially materialized in 2022 with the energization of the 997-kilo-watt power solar panels on the rooftops of the eight buildings in the university, which resulted in an energy savings of more than 7 million pesos from January 2022 to June 2024. The project in partnership with First Gen Energy Solutions, Inc., paved the way to provide efficient and sustainable energy which also led to several innovations using renewable energy sources led by the Center for Renewable Energy and Technology (CREATE) and the Precision and Digital Agriculture Center (PREDICT) which aims to apply knowledge and technologies for environmental protection and sustainable development. In addition to use of photovoltaic, CLSU pursued the advancement of sustainable agriculture by exploring the integration of solar panels into farming practices with the development of the Mobile Solar Pump Irrigation System (MSPIS), engineered to provide reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable energy for decentralized irrigation services. The mobile solar pump can save up to 1 peso per cubic meter of water compared to conventional fuel-powered pumps. Also, the system's mobility maximizes its potential by allowing multiple farmers to use a single pump, therefore enhancing its practicality. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) has provided research funds of more than 3 million pesos to explore the potential of Agrivoltaic (AV) Technology in farm production. The project is set to determine the optimum spacing between solar panels for Agrivoltaic systems; identify suitable crops that can be grown under the solar panels; and develop farm equipment that harnesses the energy produced by the Agrivoltaic system. Presently, the AV Technology is located in five locations including Central Luzon State University, Barangays Licaong and San Agustin in Science City of Muñoz, Sta. Barbara, Llanera, and Brgy. Sinipit Bubon, San Jose City, each with different water sources such as dug wells, open sources, and shallow tubewells. Dr. Marvin M. Cinense, Project Leader of the AV technology project, highlights the potential of the project to enhance agricultural productivity while minimizing its environmental impact. The results of these projects provide great contribution to the mitigation of climate change particularly in the reduction of carbon emissions. All these innovations were highlighted as significant contributions of the university to the attainment of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) making CLSU one of the leading universities globally ranked 401-600 under the SDG 13 – Climate Action by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.