The Philippines is moving to expand its renewable energy procurement program with a dedicated auction round targeting solar installations that operate alongside agricultural and aquaculture activities, the country's Department of Energy has announced.

Dual-Use Solar Takes Center Stage

The Department of Energy has designated its ninth green energy auction as a vehicle specifically for agrivoltaic and aquavoltaic projects — configurations that co-locate solar panels with farmland or fish and shrimp pond operations, allowing land and water surfaces to serve dual productive purposes. The approach enables power generation without displacing food production activities, a consideration of particular relevance in a densely populated archipelago where arable land and coastal resources are under sustained pressure.

Agrivoltaic systems typically involve mounting solar arrays at elevated heights or in configurations that permit crops to grow beneath or between panel rows, while aquavoltaic installations float or suspend panels above aquaculture ponds, where the shade can also reduce water evaporation and algae growth. By directing an entire auction round toward these hybrid models, the Department of Energy signals an intent to move dual-use solar from a niche concept toward more mainstream grid-scale deployment.

Off-Grid Islands Also Targeted

Alongside the agrivoltaic and aquavoltaic auction, the Department of Energy announced a separate procurement effort aimed at bringing renewable energy to off-grid communities. That initiative is focused on 20 selected islands, addressing the challenge of energy access in a country composed of more than 7,000 islands, many of which remain dependent on diesel generation or have limited grid connectivity.

The off-grid auction represents a distinct policy track from the main green energy auction series, with the targeted island scope suggesting a structured rollout rather than an open national solicitation. Details on eligible technologies, capacity targets, or timelines for either auction were not specified in available announcements.

Context Within the Green Energy Auction Program

The Philippines has used its green energy auction program as a primary mechanism for procuring utility-scale renewable capacity in recent years, with successive rounds covering wind, solar, run-of-river hydropower, and biomass technologies. Designating the ninth round for agrivoltaic and aquavoltaic projects marks a shift toward more specialized procurement, reflecting both the maturation of the auction framework and growing interest in innovative land-use configurations.

The concurrent push for off-grid island renewables underscores the dual challenge facing Philippine energy planners: scaling up grid-connected clean power while simultaneously extending reliable electricity to remote communities that standard transmission infrastructure does not reach.