MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Soaring costs for fuel due to the Iran war are leading panicked consumers in hard-hit Asia toward rooftop solar power, a likely windfall for China as the world’s largest provider of solar technology.In the Philippines, which is in a national energy emergency, a survey of 20 local solar companies found a 70% increase in weekly installations and a six-fold jump in customer inquiries since the conflict began.“This crisis is a driving force for solar,” said Brenda Valerio of the nonprofit New Energy Nexus, which ran the survey. “People want solar and people want solar now.”China is poised to profit from demand caused by the war. Chinese clean technology equipment exports hit a record high in March, according to energy think tank Ember, and worldwide interest in solar is increasing.“China really is, by far, leading this race,” said Li Shuo, director of the Asia Society Policy Institute’s China Climate Hub, who called the renewable industry “a one-man show.”
The Philippines, which relies heavily on Middle Eastern crude oil and liquefied natural gas, is among the most impacted Southeast Asian nations by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.Local airlines are weighing fuel rationing. Public transport workers are receiving cash handouts. Gas and diesel prices also have shot up. To conserve energy, government offices have shifted to a four-day work week and been told to keep air conditioning no lower than 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit).
