Study: Most Filipinos were already eyeing solar before May brownouts

A nationwide survey conducted before the May power alerts found that 87% of Filipinos either agree or strongly agree they are considering solar panel installation, according to new data from Agile Data Solutions Inc.

The study, conducted on April 23 via Hustle PH — the data collection arm of Agile Data Solutions Inc. — covered 3,000 respondents across all major regions of the Philippines.

Because the survey predates the red and yellow alerts that triggered rotating power interruptions in Luzon and Visayas, the findings indicate that the May brownouts did not generate solar interest from scratch but arrived at a public already receptive to the shift.

Awareness of solar energy is high: 57% of respondents describe themselves as very familiar with solar energy, and another 32% say they are familiar, while only 3% say they are not.

Social media platforms — including Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram — account for 37% of respondents’ primary sources of solar energy information, followed by solar energy companies at 11%, and both friends and family and online news at 9% each.

Government campaigns and community programs each account for only 2% of primary information sources, even as nine in ten Filipinos say the government should invest more in renewable energy.

Electricity costs are a central driver of solar interest: nearly eight in ten respondents say rising electricity bills have influenced their consideration of solar energy.

Most respondents report spending between PHP 1,000 and PHP 5,000 per month on electricity.

Unreliable supply compounds the pressure: 49% of respondents say they experience power outages sometimes, while 18% say they experience them always, and only 9% say they never experience outages.

Nearly half of respondents — 49.7% — say they already use some form of solar energy, against 50.3% who do not.

Among current solar users, solar lighting systems are the most common application at 51.6%, while full solar panels for household electricity account for 24%.

The leading motivation among current solar users is reducing electricity bills, cited by 33.6%, followed by reliability and uninterrupted power supply at 16.75%, energy independence at 15.76%, and environmental concerns at 14.78%.

Solar adoption also appears to shift household behavior: nearly 48% of solar users say their electricity consumption has been strongly influenced by having solar, while another 34% say they have been influenced, and fewer than 4% report no change.

The main barriers to wider adoption are fear of damage from typhoons and storms and the upfront cost of installation; weather dependency is a concern for 11.04% of respondents, while battery storage cost and availability register at 9.05%.

Respondents say lower installation costs, more affordable battery storage, and better financing or payment options would most encourage adoption.

Near-term intent remains high: 46% of respondents say they are very likely to adopt solar energy in the next one to five years, and another 36.85% say they are likely, placing combined near-term adoption intent at approximately 83%.

“The data suggests that Filipinos are no longer looking at solar only as a sustainability choice. They are looking at it as a practical response to high bills, outages, and uncertainty,” said Jason Gaguan, Chairman and Co-founder of Agile Data Solutions Inc. “The interest is already there. The next challenge is making adoption more accessible, affordable, and trusted.”