Project Title & Location
THE SOLAR LABORATORY
Energy Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Philippines

Client
BUREAU OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY OF ENERGY, PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

Project Completion
1978

Associated Firms
Urban Design Associates, Inc.
Wilfredo Segovia and Associates

Services Provided
- Architecture and Engineering Design

When the 1973 oil crisis hit the Philippines, the government had to look for other sources of energy. The strategy is to diversify the country's fuel sources. One of the diversification moves is to harness solar energy.

As a public education and information drive, the Solar Laboratory at Fort Bonifacio. The laboratory has three components: a) Solar Air Conditioning System, b) Solar collector test facility, and c) Data gathering from sun and wind.

The major objective of the laboratory activities is to monitor the performance of the system under Metro Manila conditions. From the data gathered a locally suitable solar panel design is to evolve.

The installed air conditioning system has the following cahracteristics:

Cooling capacity- 6000 kcal/hr (2 tons)
Total collector area- 57 square meters
Area cooled- 72.0 square meters
Absrober/refrigerant system- Lithium-Bromide/Water solution
Assumed solar contribution (annual)- 70%
Back-up energy source- Liquified Petroleum Gas