Solar rooftop installation has never been more affordable—but for many Filipino households, navigating government permits remains the single biggest obstacle to going solar.
Tetchi Capellan, chairperson of the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance, raised the concern in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on May 9, saying that inconsistent local government permitting is slowing down an industry that could otherwise move much faster.
Capellan pointed out that the technical side of the process is the least of the problem. “Ang solar kaya mong i-install ng isang linggo,” she said. “Kaya lang, dadaan ka sa napakaraming permit.”
A homeowner seeking to install solar panels must first secure clearances from their local government unit—a process designed to ensure safety but one that has become a patchwork of conflicting requirements across the country.
The inconsistency, she said, is a serious constraint. “Iba ang patakaran ng Makati, iba ang patakaran ng Quezon City, iba ang patakaran ng Quezon Province, iba ang patakaran ng Davao,” Capellan said.
What should be a straightforward process becomes a drawn-out exercise depending on where a household is located, discouraging would-be adopters at a time when demand for solar is rising.
PSSEA has brought the issue directly to the Department of Energy (DOE), urging it to step in and set a unified standard.
“Pwede ba tulungan mo naman kami na i-harmonize natin yung rules sa lahat ng LGU? Magkaroon tayo ng standard para iisa lang, yung madali ang permit,” Capellan said the alliance told the DOE.
A single, streamlined permitting framework, she argues, would remove one of the last remaining barriers to wider solar rooftop adoption nationwide.
The urgency, Capellan stressed, is tied directly to the ongoing energy crisis.
“Sa panahon ng krisis, kailangan ilagay natin ang solar sa kamay ng mga consumers,” she said. “Sila mismo ang maglagay sa bubong nila para naiiwasan nila yung iba’t ibang points—hindi na sila dadaan sa NGCP, hindi na sila dadaan sa Meralco.”
With oil prices remaining volatile, cutting through red tape may be one of the most immediate steps the government can take to bring relief to Filipino households.
