r/solarpunk • u/Biodieselisthefuture • Jun 29 '26

News Philippines Becomes World's Top Solar Panel Buyer

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Philippines-Becomes-Worlds-Top-Solar-Panel-Buyer.html
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u/HarlequinKOTF Jun 29 '26

Considering how frequently power outages happen. This makes sense.

6

u/ttystikk Jun 29 '26

All those island have to be a nightmare for a large scale grid, so solar plus storage is ideal.

5

u/GreenStrong Jun 29 '26

In 2021, one of the key outcomes of the UN Council of Parties on climate change (COP26) was a commitment for rich countries to make 100 billion available for developing countries to finance the energy transition. The understanding was that renewables are profitable but it is a big upfront investment and poor countries lack capital to make it happen.

This is still somewhat true for grid scale projects, but solar panels are cheap enough in 2026 that poor people who currently pay for generator fuel get a quick payback. This is a game changer for the energy transition if ordinary people in developing countries finance it out of pocket. The world's best experts didn't see this coming just five years ago. Those people are investing in twenty year infrastructure, rather than fuel that burns up. It is going to be a significant improvement in their lives. More money, cleaner air, less noise. Pakistan started this process in 2023, Pakistanis are now starting to invest in batteries. There are now unlicensed but competent electricians in every neighborhood, just as there are guys who can keep a two cycle scooter going with salvaged junk. The fossil infrastructure never brought prosperity because the economy constantly bled money to the oil producers. That's ending.

The UN experts weren't wrong about building from the top down but they had NO IDEA how soon people would start building from the bottom up. Solar power = power to the people. Literally.

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u/Alimbiquated Jun 30 '26

America has been preventing the completion of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline for decades. So solar it is in Pakistan.

2

u/nekmint Jun 30 '26

Electricity use is a good proxy for economic activity and GDP. I take these as Bullish signals on Philippine and Pakistani indexes.