SOMETHING SMELLS!
Negros Daily Bulletin
By Lourdes Ledesma
Because of unaffordable fuel oil prices that is wreaking havoc on our economy and pockets, and because of greenhouse gases produced by factories and vehicles using it that is causing global warming, most nations are now searching for other sources of energy. Admittedly, rising oil prices rather than environmental concern is the main driving force in the mad dash for alternative fuels worldwide. The Philippines is also looking for solutions. Vehicle emissions, after all, account for up to 80 percent of air pollution in this country. It is a rough estimate that approximately 2,000 people die each year in the country’s major cities, such as Manila, Cebu and Davao, due to the effects of air pollution, according to a World Bank study. More than 9,000 Filipinos suffer from chronic bronchitis and lung ailments annually because of pollution. Towards minimizing air pollution, Congress has passed the Clean Air Act of 1999 (R.A. 9275), setting and enforcing standards of emissions of vehicles and factories nationwide.
It has also passed the Biofuels Act of 2006 (R.A. 9367), directing research and manufacture of alternative fuels, as well as setting standards for them. The Department of Energy under this law, recognizes and sets standards for the following alternative fuels:
1. Bioethanol (C2H5OH) refers to ethanol produced from feedstock and other biomass, such as sugarcane
2. Natural Gas - naturally-occurring gaseous petroleum that accumulates under the earth’s crust
3. Electricity - stored in batteries for use by electric motors
4. Hydrogen - a clean-burning type of gas
5. Automotive liquefied petroleum (LPG or autogas, also known as “propane”) - hydrocarbon gases kept under low moderate pressure as a liquid
6. Biodiesel - refers to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) or mono-alkyl esters derived from vegetable oils or animal fats and other biomass-derived oils
The law was signed by the President in January of 2007 and became effective immediately. It mandates that all liquid fuels for motors and engines sold in the Philippines shall contain locally-sourced biofuels components, such as:
Bioethanol - shall comprise 5 percent of total volume of gasoline within two years of the effectivity of this act; increasing this to 10 percent within 4 years as recommended by the National Biofuel Board, provided that the ethanol blend conforms to standards.
Biodiesel - within 3 months from the effectivity of this act, a minimum of 1 percent biodiesel by volume shall be blended into all diesel engine fuels sold in this country, increasing this to 2 percent within 2 years, provided the blend conforms to standards.
Furthermore, as incentives, the law will not impose a specific tax on local or imported biofuels component, and the sale of raw material used in the production of biofuels, such as, but not limited to, coconut, jatrophra, sugarcane, cassava, corn, and sweet sorghum shall be exempt from the VAT (value added tax). Also, water effluents from the production of biofuels used as liquid fertilizer and other agricultural purposes considered “reuse” are exempt from wastewater charges, so long as they conform to standards of the Clean Water Act (R.A. 9275), and are subject to monitoring and evaluation by DENR and approved by Dept. Of Agriculture. Financial assistance for such projects will be accorded high priority by lending institutions.
The Daily Inquirer (May 3,2008) noted that “According to an executive summary on the Bioenergy Forum 2008 in Bangkok, the Philippines is at the forefront of biofuels development and use in the world.” The Biofuels Act of 2006 has become a model for other countries to emulate and is “decisive” and clear in its policies on the use of coco-biodiesel and fuel-ethanol.
Our government is also looking into other green energy sources, such as solar and wind power, hydropower and geothermal resources. In fact, there is already a wind energy project in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. A total of 15 windmills, each 70 meters tall and bases covering 4 square meters, provide 40 percent electric power to Bangui and Ilocos Norte. A $4 million windmill project will also rise in Cagraray Island, Albay, in Bicol this year.
Basically, a windmill is a structure that converts wind into usable energy to power homes, farms, water pumps and provide electricity for communities. Traditionally, the windmill was used to pump water and to grind grain. The earliest recorded use of the windmill was in Persia in 500 A.D. and in China in 1219. The concept of the windmill spread to Europe after the Crusades, and was refined by the Dutch. In addition to water pumping and grain grinding, they were used in Europe for powering saw mills and processing spices, dyes and tobacco. However, the use of the windmill declined in the advent of the steam engine.
In the U.S., especially in remote places, homes use windmills to provide power, and farms to draw water. Small wind generators with capacities of 10-100 Kw are widely used in every state. However, increasingly, U.S. consumers are choosing to purchase grid-connected turbines. As wind energy is governed by nature, and as wind speeds increase, turbine output increases and the amount of power purchased from the power utility also decreases. When the turbine produces more power than the house needs, the extra electricity is sold to the utility. All of this is done automatically. There are no batteries in a modern residential wind system.
In the U.S., wind power receives a tax credit for each kilowatt-hour produced, with provision for increasing inflation adjustment. Many states offer tax incentives, such as accelerated depreciation, exemption from property tax, and tax credits for wind generation with assured grid access.
There are enough windmill power systems being offered in the market for all types of needs, from residential to community-based, in the U.S., Europe and China. This is clean and green power and now is the time to consider installing it in our homes and businesses...when the cost of fossil-fuel electricity is fast spiralling upward and becoming unaffordable, besides emitting greenhouse gases. This is the time to shed the old ways and look for new pathways to the future.*
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