The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) has discovered that the Philippines has a potential solar rooftop capacity of 1,846.08MW, covering 174 cities and municipalities across the country. The findings were revealed through the Solar Power Estimation of Capacities and Tracking Using Machine Learning (SPECTRUM), a proprietary model and web platform developed by ICSC.
SPECTRUM was launched on July 15, 2025, in Quezon City, gathering representatives from various sectors, including national government agencies, local government units, civil society, and the private sector. The tool utilizes machine learning and satellite data to provide accurate, up-to-date estimates of solar energy capacity across the Philippines.
According to ICSC Executive Director Angelo Kairos dela Cruz, solar energy is not just about sustainability but also about economic empowerment, especially for underserved and last-mile communities. “At ICSC, we believe data drives purposeful action. Through initiatives like SPECTRUM, we turn research into evidence-based policies that guide national planning and empower local governments to adopt climate-smart strategies,” said dela Cruz.
The geographic scope of SPECTRUM was developed in three phases: major metropolitan areas across the country, the Greater Metro Manila area and other cities, and other highly urbanized cities and municipalities, including Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) areas. The detected installations were categorized as follows:
• Residential, referring to solar panels detected that are below 100 kilowatts (kW) or those under the Philippines’ Net-Metering Program
• Commercial and industrial, referring to solar panels detected that are above 100kW or those registered under the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Program
• Utility scale, referring to solar projects detected that are above 1MW
Of the total 1,846.08MW of solar rooftop capacity detected, 1,398.25MW are utility scale, 202.03MW are commercial, and 245.8MW are residential installations. In evaluating these capacities, ICSC focused on precision or how the tool correctly identifies detected solar panels.
Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol and Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella highlighted the importance of tools such as SPECTRUM in paving the way for the energy transition. Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable 20 Group of Finance Ministers (V20) also celebrated the launch of SPECTRUM, underscoring the importance of civil society leadership in advancing climate action and the energy transition in climate-vulnerable nations such as the Philippines.
ICSC plans to continuously develop SPECTRUM to improve precision, expand coverage, and track the growth of solar capacities over time. The organization believes that this tool will support more stable grid operations, improved compliance with renewable energy targets, and greater community involvement.
