RIZAL Green Energy Corp. (RGEC), a Yuchengco-led company and a joint venture between PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) and Japan’s TAISEI Corp., piloted an agrivoltaics project in its 19.6MW DC San Jose Solar Power Project (SJSPP) in Brgy. Sto. Nino 3rd, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
The project was formally launched on April 24, 2025, during the inauguration of SJSPP and will be the first of its kind for San Jose City.
“Agrivoltaics combines agriculture with photovoltaics by growing crops below or alongside PV panels. This not only optimizes land use but also enhances the resilience of crops against climate change by providing enough shading to crops, reducing water evaporation, and improving yield. This reflects our commitment to sustainability and innovation, demonstrating that renewable energy and agriculture can co-exist and thrive together in the same area,” according to Yrel Ventura, PGEC AVP for Environment and Community Relations.
SJSPP developer San Jose Green Energy Corporation (SJGEC), a unit of RGEC, collaborated with the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and the San Jose City Agriculture Office for the technical study, design, and roll-out of the agrivoltaics project. The 2,750 sqm pilot site has three sections – vegetables, herbs, and ornamental plants – where 588 solar panels were mounted up to two meters high over the ground.
Vegetables grown in the agrivoltaics include bell pepper, eggplant, green chili, lettuce, okra, and onions. Herbs grown are basil, cilantro, and parsley while ornamental plants include daisy, dracaena, rose, and sampaguita.
According to RGEC Director and TAISEI Deputy Chief of Corporate Planning Kazuhito Tani, the project is “a perfect example of how innovation can create synergies between energy production and food sustainability. In Japan, agrivoltaics began in Chiba prefecture in 2004 and has since expanded across the country.”
For his part, Dr. Emmanuel Vera Cruz, CLSU Vice President for Research and Extension, said that the facility shows the kind of meaningful impact that can be achieved when different sectors come
together with a common goal. “At a time when we face growing pressures on land, food, and energy, this initiative proves we don’t have to choose one over the other. This collaboration also reinforces our belief that research must go beyond the lab and create ripples to empower communities and transform lives.”
Assistant Director Maria Dorica Hipe of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources -Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) confirms that the agrivoltaics project not only aligns strongly with the priority thrust of the DENR but will also ensure that the transition to clean energy is environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially equitable.
For the Department of Agriculture (DA), the project serves as another milestone in the field of
agriculture and environment. Engr. Elmer Tubig, Chief of DA-III Regional Agricultural Engineering Division, urges project stakeholders to sustain its operations through best practices that promote good agricultural management, community welfare, and proper use of resources.
Community involvement is central to the project and PGEC has engaged local residents in the operation and maintenance of the agrivoltaics facility, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. A women’s group of host community Brgy. Santo Nino 3rd will sell the produce and keep the earnings, furthering economic support to local families.
“On behalf of the city government of San Jose, I thank PGEC, its partners, and various
stakeholders for choosing San Jose to host this meaningful project of combining solar power
generation and food production. We look forward to the long-term benefits for the people of San Jose and we assure our investors of the city government’s unwavering support and commitment to bring this project to fruition,” a beaming San Jose City Mayor Kokoy Salvador said.