These wind turbines let farms keep growing underneath

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Renewable energy firm WindIQ is considering Iloilo as the site of its proposed Philippine manufacturing facility for compact wind turbines following a meeting with Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. at the Provincial Capitol on June 26.

During the courtesy call, company officials presented their compact vertical-axis wind turbine technology, which is designed to generate renewable energy while allowing farmland beneath and around the structures to remain productive.

WindIQ representatives, including Atty. Martin Yasay, Engr. Jay Soriano, Vladimir Mata, and American partners Zenock Bishop and Chase Kelly, discussed the technology’s potential applications in the province.

Bishop said Iloilo stands out as a suitable location for the company’s planned manufacturing operations.

“Iloilo is a place where we can grow, we can develop. The area is great. In our mind, it’s perfect for what we want to do,” he said.

Unlike conventional horizontal-axis wind turbines that require large open areas and must be positioned toward prevailing winds, the company’s vertical-axis design can harness wind from multiple directions while occupying a smaller land footprint.

The design lets agricultural activities continue alongside renewable energy generation, offering a potential answer to the land-use concerns often raised against large-scale renewable projects.

Defensor welcomed the presentation and said the technology could help optimize land use by integrating clean energy production with farming.

The governor said the provincial government would first need a comprehensive proposal before discussions on possible collaboration could proceed.

He asked the company to submit a concrete plan that could also be presented to local government units and the local business sector for further evaluation.

If pursued, the proposed facility could attract new investments, generate employment, and reinforce Iloilo’s emerging role in renewable energy and green manufacturing.

Iloilo has positioned itself as a renewable energy leader, enacting the Iloilo Provincial Renewable Energy Ordinance, known as I-PORE, in 2022, described as the first such measure passed by a province in the Philippines.

The provincial government has since pursued a clean energy agenda anchored on the Iloilo Provincial Renewable Energy Plan and a string of solar developments, most of them ground-mounted projects in northern Iloilo.

A locally based wind turbine manufacturer would mark a shift toward the region’s largest untapped resource. The Department of Energy estimated Western Visayas’ wind potential at roughly 13,000 megawatts, far exceeding its solar and hydropower capacity, according to figures presented by then-Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla in 2023.