Every home is doing its best to save up on electricity costs. Families are starting to create habits that help reduce their energy consumption.

With the worsening global surge in fuel prices, not only is the transport sector affected but also households and businesses alike. As the global supply shortens, the cost of electricity increases which consequently adds weight on the ordinary family's monthly budget.

The electrical supply in the Philippines is mostly reliant on base load fossil fuel plants, about 2,844 MW of dependable capacity or 11.8% of the total electrical reserve in the country comes from oil based power plants. In Luzon alone about 4.9% of the 9.2% dependable capacity of oil based electric supply is derived from diesel, 1.1% from oil thermal, and 3.2% from gas turbines.

Staggering electricity costs combined with a crippling series of power outages - mostly during the summer period – have long been profoundly making ordinary Filipinos' lives more difficult than it already is.

As demand for energy increases during the dry season, the country's aging power plants have been working twice as hard to meet higher demands which, in turn, forces plant outages with thinned power reserves.

Household electrical consumption makes up about 27.39% of the total energy consumption in the country and the rest is consumed by the industrial sector, commercial, and other sectors, which means that roughly about 72% of the total consuming sector must also do their part to conserve energy or find ways to make it sustainable for everyone.

One of the Philippines' leading integrated property developers and a chain of shopping malls, hotels, and residences has already started the journey towards energy efficiency through renewable energy utilization.

Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera of the government's Climate Change Commission shares that although renewable energy comes from nature and makes up about 20%-30% of the country's total energy supply, we can reckon that supply is forsooth unlimited. However, enough equipment, space, and budget are needed to harness this unlimited resource.

Since it launched its first Solar Rooftop Project in 2014 in SM City North EDSA, SM Prime now has expanded installation of solar panels to ten of its malls. These solar panels are helping energize their structures through renewable energy which consequently lessen their energy consumption.

At the roof deck in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay, around 10,000 solar panels have been installed to garner this energy from the sun's rays. The mall also uses its gathered energy from the solar panels to power its building. SM Prime is well on its way towards achieving its commitment of increasing its renewable energy source to more than 50% before the year ends.

SM Mall of Asia uses natural light to help brighten their interiors. Photo source: SM Prime

SM Mall of Asia uses natural light to help brighten their interiors. Photo source: SM Prime

SM Mall of Asia uses natural light to help brighten their interiors. Photo source: SM Prime

Aside from SM Prime's solar panel installations, mall structures are also designed to let natural light in through its ice tinted glass roofs that repel heat while allowing sufficient sunlight in to help brighten the mall.

All SM Supermalls structures hope to become exemplary and model establishments that take part in pushing innovations for sustainability to help enrich the Filipinos' quality of life.

As more households and establishments create ways to utilize electricity and renewable energy, it is greatly hoped for the future generation of Filipinos to enjoy lower electricity costs and enough supply of it.

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Watch the full video of how SM Prime creates a sustainable environment. Video source: ABS-CBN News

Find out more about SM Prime's sustainability efforts here or connect with them on Facebook.