Can irrigation canals serve another beneficial purpose?
That was the eager question of those monitoring the progress of a hybrid renewable energy system that is now powering streetlights at Barangay Socsocon, Pastrana, Leyte.
The hybrid system uses both solar energy and hydropower, which was built into an irrigation canal in this barangay.
According to graduate students of the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) who developed the system, the hybrid system receives 70 percent of its power output from solar and 30 percent from hydropower.
Using a mini-hydro turbine, the system uses the canal’s steady water current to generate additional renewable energy.
The hybrid setup produces 235 watts from both energy sources, sufficient to power five streetlights in this road for up to 10 hours.
“We prioritized illuminating this farm-to-market road because it becomes very dark at night. The system stores solar energy in batteries by day, and hydropower charges at night to keep streetlights running all evening,” research leader Ey-Ar Udtuhan said.
Dubbed “Hybrid System Using Solar-Hydro for Sustainable Street Lighting,” the project was designed and built by Udtuhan and fellow electrical engineering students Aron Kyle Cabodil, Marlon Rey Caharop, and John Russel Geroy, all from the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) in Tacloban City.
“This project is a big help because people now feel safer walking at night. It is my first time learning that water currents can also be a source of electricity. We are committed to expanding the project using local funds,” Barangay Socsocon Chairman Jeboy Nobe told local media.
EVSU School of Engineering Dean Vinyl Oquiño highlighted the university’s push toward community-based research with practical applications.
“This school year, we have encouraged students to identify community concerns and develop engineering solutions that improve people’s lives. For us, a project that does not serve the people is meaningless,” he said.
(With report from PNA)
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