Philippines Unveils Largest Mall Rooftop Solar Project at SM City Fairview

Despite recent typhoons and monsoon-induced floods, SM Supermalls has officially launched the largest rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installation in the Philippines at SM City Fairview, located less than 20 km from Manila.

On July 24, 2025, executives from SM Prime activated the 3.785-megawatt peak (MWp) solar system. According to Buskowitz Energy, the renewable energy provider behind the project, the system achieved 85–90% output capacity at launch—despite poor weather—demonstrating the system’s strong performance under real-world conditions.

The rooftop array spans 4.3 hectares and includes 6,882 solar panels, expected to generate around 5,960 MWh of clean energy annually. This output will cover approximately 11% of SM City Fairview’s total yearly energy consumption, while reducing carbon emissions by 4,133 tons per year.

“This milestone shows how we’re scaling our commitment to sustainability across our properties,” said Hans T. Sy, Chairman of the Executive Committee at SM Prime. He emphasized the company’s broader focus on sustainable practices across energy, water, and waste management.

The project took about one year from development to completion, with three months dedicated to panel installation.

SM’s journey into renewable energy began in 2014 with the country’s first mall rooftop solar system at SM City North EDSA. Two years later, SM Mall of Asia followed with a 2.7 MW solar system, which later received a Sustainable Energy Award from the Department of Energy.

By July 2025, a total of 88 SM malls across the Philippines had adopted solar panel systems. SM Prime’s total rooftop solar capacity reached 73 MWp, up from 63 MWp earlier this year, across 47 locations. The company aims to scale that to 100 MWp by the end of 2025.

The new installation at SM City Fairview has overtaken the previous largest system at SM City Santa Rosa (3.088 MWp).

In addition to generating solar energy, SM Supermalls participates in the Department of Energy’s Interruptible Load Program (ILP). Under this initiative, over 56 SM malls utilize backup generators during power interruptions to relieve grid stress, contributing 110 MW of reserve capacity. SM Mall of Asia alone provides 15.92 MW, making it the largest private sector contributor to the ILP.

Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls, reaffirmed the company’s long-term environmental mission:

“We’ve made strong progress in solar power generation, water conservation, and waste reduction. With continued support from our partners and communities, we are confident in achieving our Net Zero 2040 goals.”