
ICSC finds over 1,800MW potential solar rooftop capacity in the PH, as it launches SPECTRUM solar mapping tool
At the launch event Tuesday, ICSC Chief Data Scientist Jephraim Manansala presented SPECTRUM's core features, highlighting its capacity to track existing rooftop solar installations nationwide using machine learning.
The platform is intended to support local governments, utilities, solar developers, and communities in planning and implementing solar energy programs.
'SPECTRUM is more than just a mapping tool, although it is a fancy mapping tool,' said ICSC Executive Director Angelo Kairos Dela Cruz. 'It is a bold leap toward a future where innovation meets inclusion."
Currently, SPECTRUM maps rooftop solar capacities in 174 cities and municipalities, with an initial focus on high-density urban areas where rooftop solar penetration is highest. Given this coverage, the tool has already helped detect 1,309.64 megawatts (MW) of potential solar rooftop capacity in Luzon, 472.48MW capacity in Visayas, and 61.08MW capacity in Mindanao –– amounting to 1,846.08MW potential solar capacity nationwide.
Of the total 1,846.08MW, 1,398.25MW are utility scale, 202.03MW are commercial, and 245.8MW are residential installations.
These spectacular numbers mean the Philippines could actually avoid an estimated grid emissions of about 1.8MTCOe (million tons of CO2 equivalent), explained ICSC's Chief Data Scientist Jephraim Manansala to GMA News Online.
"However, note that this just for the selected areas in the country and still does not account for other areas," he advised.
Manansala came up with the estimated carbon avoidance by "assuming a 16% capacity factor for solar and using the Department of Energy's Operating Margin Emission Factors (2019-2021) of Luzon and Visayas at 0.6936 tCO2/MWh and Mindanao at 0.8522 tCO2/MWh.
"These values mean that for every 1MWh of solar electricity added, you're avoiding around 0.69-0.85 tons of Co2, depending on the region," Manansala continued.
Climate change is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which then produces greenhouse gas emissions and traps the sun's heat in the atmosphere.
Avoiding carbon is important in the fight against climate change, which is why transitioning away from fossil fuels and into clean energy is important.
This is especially important for the Philippines, which is already experiencing the effects of climate change. Last year, the country experienced four simultaneous typhoons, which the World Weather Attribution said was made 70% more likely as a result of climate change.
According to the German Watch's Climate Risk Index 2025, the Philippines is the 10th most affected country by extreme weather events in the last 30 years, making the transition to clean energy urgent.
SPECTRUM was launched on Tuesday morning at Novotel Manila in Araneta City, Cubao, where key stakeholders from the government, diplomatic corps, energy sector, and civil society were present.
In attendance were Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella and Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol, along with Elizabeth Thompson, Barbados Ambassador for Climate Change, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and the Law of the Sea. Climate Vulnerable Forum–V20 Secretary-General and former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed also delivered a keynote address, underscoring the regional and global significance of scaling up clean energy.
A panel discussion followed, featuring representatives from the DOE, Energy Regulatory Commission, Meralco, and Quezon City local government, who discussed policy implications, opportunities, and integration with existing energy systems.
The launch was capped off by a hands-on workshop, giving members of the academe, civil society, and other energy advocates the opportunity to interact with the tool and offer feedback on its usability and future development.
From the current 175 174 cities and municipalities, ICSC aims to expand SPECTRUM's coverage to up to 400 cities and municipalities within the coming month.
Accessible for free online, SPECTRUM is expected to play a key role in promoting net metering, identifying solar-ready zones, and supporting the Philippines' broader renewable energy transition. — With reports from Sherylin Untalan/LA, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
17-07-2025
- GMA Network
ICSC finds over 1,800MW potential solar rooftop capacity in the PH, as it launches SPECTRUM solar mapping tool
The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) officially launched SPECTRUM (Solar Power Estimation of Capacities and Tracking Using Machine Learning), a groundbreaking online platform designed to map, monitor, and accelerate the growth of rooftop solar energy systems across the Philippines. At the launch event Tuesday, ICSC Chief Data Scientist Jephraim Manansala presented SPECTRUM's core features, highlighting its capacity to track existing rooftop solar installations nationwide using machine learning. The platform is intended to support local governments, utilities, solar developers, and communities in planning and implementing solar energy programs. 'SPECTRUM is more than just a mapping tool, although it is a fancy mapping tool,' said ICSC Executive Director Angelo Kairos Dela Cruz. 'It is a bold leap toward a future where innovation meets inclusion." Currently, SPECTRUM maps rooftop solar capacities in 174 cities and municipalities, with an initial focus on high-density urban areas where rooftop solar penetration is highest. Given this coverage, the tool has already helped detect 1,309.64 megawatts (MW) of potential solar rooftop capacity in Luzon, 472.48MW capacity in Visayas, and 61.08MW capacity in Mindanao –– amounting to 1,846.08MW potential solar capacity nationwide. Of the total 1,846.08MW, 1,398.25MW are utility scale, 202.03MW are commercial, and 245.8MW are residential installations. These spectacular numbers mean the Philippines could actually avoid an estimated grid emissions of about 1.8MTCOe (million tons of CO2 equivalent), explained ICSC's Chief Data Scientist Jephraim Manansala to GMA News Online. "However, note that this just for the selected areas in the country and still does not account for other areas," he advised. Manansala came up with the estimated carbon avoidance by "assuming a 16% capacity factor for solar and using the Department of Energy's Operating Margin Emission Factors (2019-2021) of Luzon and Visayas at 0.6936 tCO2/MWh and Mindanao at 0.8522 tCO2/MWh. "These values mean that for every 1MWh of solar electricity added, you're avoiding around 0.69-0.85 tons of Co2, depending on the region," Manansala continued. Climate change is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which then produces greenhouse gas emissions and traps the sun's heat in the atmosphere. Avoiding carbon is important in the fight against climate change, which is why transitioning away from fossil fuels and into clean energy is important. This is especially important for the Philippines, which is already experiencing the effects of climate change. Last year, the country experienced four simultaneous typhoons, which the World Weather Attribution said was made 70% more likely as a result of climate change. According to the German Watch's Climate Risk Index 2025, the Philippines is the 10th most affected country by extreme weather events in the last 30 years, making the transition to clean energy urgent. SPECTRUM was launched on Tuesday morning at Novotel Manila in Araneta City, Cubao, where key stakeholders from the government, diplomatic corps, energy sector, and civil society were present. In attendance were Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella and Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol, along with Elizabeth Thompson, Barbados Ambassador for Climate Change, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and the Law of the Sea. Climate Vulnerable Forum–V20 Secretary-General and former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed also delivered a keynote address, underscoring the regional and global significance of scaling up clean energy. A panel discussion followed, featuring representatives from the DOE, Energy Regulatory Commission, Meralco, and Quezon City local government, who discussed policy implications, opportunities, and integration with existing energy systems. The launch was capped off by a hands-on workshop, giving members of the academe, civil society, and other energy advocates the opportunity to interact with the tool and offer feedback on its usability and future development. From the current 175 174 cities and municipalities, ICSC aims to expand SPECTRUM's coverage to up to 400 cities and municipalities within the coming month. Accessible for free online, SPECTRUM is expected to play a key role in promoting net metering, identifying solar-ready zones, and supporting the Philippines' broader renewable energy transition. — With reports from Sherylin Untalan/LA, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
14-07-2025
- GMA Network
A 10-minute walk post-meal can help in blood sugar management
A 2025 study published in Scientific Reports suggests a 10-minute walk after eating could effectively manage blood sugar. Led by Kaito Hashimoto along with six of his colleagues, the study titled 'Positive impact of a 10-min walk immediately after glucose intake on postprandial glucose levels' examined 12 healthy young adults, six males and six females, and placed them in three conditions: Control condition (rest): Participants sat and rested after consuming 75 grams of a glucose (sugar) solution. 10-minute Walk Condition: Participants walked on a treadmill for 10 minutes immediately after drinking the glucose solution. 30-minute Walk Condition: Participants sat for 30 minutes after drinking the glucose solution and then walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes. The study revealed that the 10-minute walk was just as effective as the 30-minute walk, given that there was no significant difference in overall blood sugar control between the two conditions. It also showed that the 10-minute immediate walk and walking 30 minutes after eating both lowered overall blood sugar levels in a span of two hours compared to just sitting post-meal. The study did acknowledge that the results are limited to healthy young adults, so further studies are encouraged to see if the same benefits apply to older adults, pregnant women, and people with metabolic issues like diabetes. The study also presents the 10-minute walking session as a practical solution for busy individuals looking to prevent hyperglycemia, especially those at risk of diabetes. Hyperglycemia, also known as high blood sugar, 'happens when there's too much sugar (glucose) in your blood' and is common in people who have diabetes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. These findings are particularly relevant nowadays, given the alarmingly rising cases of diabetes worldwide. A 2024 report said more than 800 million adults have diabetes globally, a chronic metabolic disease involving blood sugar levels, which can damage the heart, blood vessels, nerves, and other organs if untreated. For more health and wellness tips and educational reads, subscribe to GMA News Online's weekly newsletter, The Boost. Here's the link in case you want to read the study published in Scientific Reports.— LA, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
01-07-2025
- GMA Network
This student is building an AI app to help farmers address crop issues
Immersing himself in the life of farmers, and listening to the stories of his uncle in the province led Ateneo de Manila University student Soj Gamayon to build an AI app that could help farmers detect issues in their crops and address the problem. "Iba pa pala 'yung hirap ng you're already putting in so much time and effort tas 'di mo pa mapapabalik 'yung ani mo because of conditions you can't control or you didn't control fast enough," the communications Technology management major told GMA News Online in an interview. Armed with his student exchange program experience at the National University of Singapore and an internship at a Vietnam startup company catering farmers, Gayamon was more than up to look for solutions. "Merging that experience from Singapore and then that personal story once I got back home, that kind of inspired the story of AgriConnect. And what it does really is helping these agribusinesses manage these risks," he added. Called the AgriConnect PH, the AI app helps farmers become more strategic "so that no harvest is left to chance," he said. "It's a lot of trying to be more strategic with farming versus just guessing and just relying on intuition, especially since these conditions now in the world are very much unpredictable. You don't know when it's going to rain. You don't know when El Nino heat hits you. So a lot of these things," the student said. The AgriConnect PH AI app works in three segments: collecting the data, interpreting on the data, and acting on the data. A "more sensitive and smarter" type of sensor will be put around the corners of the land looking into three risks: water levels, moisture, pests and insects. The data is then sent into a cloud, where data is stored, which is then sent to the app with AI interpreting the data collected. Farmers will have three signals: Green means normal, yellow means moderate which tells you what to focus on, and red means there are serious risks, giving instructions how to handle the situation. The app can give updates on the crops at least twice a day on an "as-needed basis" depending on the time set by the farmers. "But obviously, if there's really an immediate risk, then that would have a separate notification for farmers to act on," he said. As of writing, the AgriConnect PH app can accommodate cereal crops such as rice, corn, among others. They are planning to scale higher on high-value crops like vegetables and livestocks. Through the app, Gamayon hopes to streamline the process of farming so farmers can grow more crops with no money going to waste. "Sometimes these farms have different scales, and sometimes masyado nang marami [yung problema] and the farmer can't act on it fast enough," the student said. "We're trying to make our farmers more proactive rather than reactive to the risks that are within the farm," he added. While they are still in the process of developing the technology by talking to stakeholders and institutions, Gamayon hopes people will embrace technology use in agriculture, stressing the industry's importance to society. "It's high time that we embrace the idea of technology. And that technology just goes beyond the tractor. Data exists now as a way for us to elevate farming. ... and the fact that we're actually having more technological advancements, we can produce more efficiently," he said. "If technology bridges that gap for agriculture —at least man lang there's a fighting chance to elevate agriculture in the Philippines. I hope the word gets out there for farmers to also see that there's a future through technology with agriculture." — LA, GMA Integrated News