Verification Services of Solar Home System Installations ASEP-Window 2
project id

SDS-105

project Name

Verification Services of Solar Home System (SHS) Installations by Electric Cooperatives under the Photovoltaic Mainstreaming (PVM) Component of the Access to Sustainable Energy Project (ASEP-Window 2)

client
National Power Corporation
location
Mindanao, Regions 10,11 and 12 (Bukidnon, Cotabato, Saranggani, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental and Sultan Kudarat)
Country
Philippines
period Covered
May 2022 - September 2022
No. of staff months
80
Associated Consultant
None
no. of staff months Provided by associated consultant
-
Description

The Solar Home Systems (SHS) project is  the first component of the Access to Sustainable Energy Project (ASEP) grant  agreement supported by $12.8 million from the European Union (EU) and $2.4  million from the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA). SHS is in  line with and supports the PV Mainstreaming (PVM) component of the Republic  of the Philippines’ strategy for achieving full electrification, a Department  of Energy (DOE) initiative. The DOE estimates, in its Household  Electrification Development Plan, that at least 400,000 of those households  will be most economically connected with modern solar home systems. PVM is  part of the larger DOE-EU Access to Sustainable Energy Programme. PVM is the  provision of SHS packages as a utility service in which utilities own the  systems and provide for operations, maintenance, parts replacement, and other  customer services; while households pay a flat, monthly, regulated fee to the  local Electric Cooperative (EC). Regulation is provided by the Energy Regulatory  Commission (ERC).

PVM, in keeping with global best  practices, is a service-oriented program. SHS packages include panels,  lithium-ion batteries, LED lights, and low-voltage, DC appliances like radios  or fans, depending on the level of service provided. Specifications will  focus not on watt-peakage but rather on the hours of service that customers  can expect from their lighting and appliance array. The GPOBA and the EU  through the World Bank (WB) signed separate Grant Agreements with the private  organization LGU Guarantee Corporation (LGUGC) to undertake the PV  Mainstreaming Program.

As Transaction Manager, NPC is responsible  for the tender design, awarding, execution, verification, and payment from  the WB to SHS Supplier & Installer Contractor (SIC). SDS was commissioned  by the NPC to undertake the verification assignment.

Description of Services provided

1. Designed an  efficient Verification Plan with a Verification Checklist to minimize the  failure of some SHS packages by reporting to the EC, the partner implementer  for this project, and ECs in turn will rectify installations based on the  list of recommended items that need to be fixed.

2. Reviewed all  Installation Acceptance Sheets (IAS) and related documents confirming  turnover of SHS from EC to Household with the approval of the EC installer.

3. Prepared  Verification Tranche Report (VTR) and corresponding individual verification  reports for review and approval by the NPC.

4. Physically  verified 3,050 SHS installations comprising 10% of the allocated SHS  installations through random sampling, and conducted a socio-economic and  customer satisfaction survey among the beneficiaries/clients; and provide  reports on:

  • Proper  installation of SHS packages that are functioning per the standards stated in  the SHS Operational Manual and contractual obligations of the Subsidy  Agreement with ECS;
  • Report a list  of recommendations for rectification by the EC; and
  • Report  the socio-economic profile and level of satisfaction of sampled  member-consumers on the received SHS units and the way the SHS were  installed.

5. Updated a  cloud-based Project Monitoring Tool (PMT) daily with Individual Verification  Reports (IVRs) and other reporting documentation. The VA shall submit a  Verification Tranche Report (VTR) and once all IVRs for the respective  tranche have been uploaded; a completion or Final Report will be submitted  with the results of the socio-economic and satisfaction survey. Further, the  Report also contained an assessment of adverse social or environmental  impacts inflicted by the physical installations of the SHS packages, as per  the World Bank Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF) for ASEP.  Furthermore, the Report contained feedback on customer satisfaction with  installations and SHS-related training provided, and inclusion of gender  indicators, e.g., number of women beneficiaries, number of woman-headed  household beneficiaries, and women’s preferences for light bulb location.