PE2 recommends EE scale-up strategies during ECCP’s Energy Smart Forum 2026
MAKATI CITY, 27 August 2026 - The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2) offered cautious optimism for the energy efficiency market but offered six policy and market recommendations should the economy desire to quickly achieve scale in the short term. PE2 offered these views as industry partner of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’ (ECCP) 15th Energy Smart Forum earlier today at the Dusit Thani Manila.
Before the PE2 presentation, DOE Secretary Sharon S. Garin outlined key policy priorities for strengthening energy security and supporting the country’s renewable energy ambitions in her keynote message. She said the government will provide clear policies, efficient regulation, and an investment environment that enables projects moving forward.
“Could 2027 kick off the exponential growth for energy efficiency?” was the hypothetical question raised by PE2 president and Climargy CEO Alexander Ablaza in his remarks. He highlighted the global call to double annual energy-efficiency progress from 2% to 4% by 2030, noting that global energy-intensity improvement reached 1.8% in 2025, a significant improvement from 1% in the previous year. He likewise reported that the global ESCO community classifies the Philippines among the moderate growth energy service company (ESCO) markets in Southeast Asia, placing it alongside those of Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Ablaza also added that 2027 could potentially mark the beginning of exponential growth in energy efficiency, provided key policy and market barriers are addressed. PE2 proposes six policy recommendations: strengthening energy-intensity improvements; raising supply-side efficiency standards; the full enforcement of energy-efficiency laws and guidelines; the building of ESCO and energy-as-a-service capabilities; improving fiscal incentives; and expanding development funding to de-risk energy-efficiency investments.
The third session of the forum focused on energy efficiency and smart infrastructure to support decarbonization. The panel featured Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) Senior Advisor on Energy Literacy and Energy Democracy Atty. Monalisa Dimalanta, PE2 president Alexander Ablaza, Stratcon Managing Director Colin Steley, and Race to Net Zero Philippines Senior Strategy Consultant and UNFCCC Expert Paulo Antonio Burro. With the discussions skillfully steered by the moderator, ECCP Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee Co-chairperson, PE2 Vice President for Internal Affairs and Upgrade Energy Philippines (UGEP) President Ruth Yu-Owen, the panelists examined how smarter technologies and energy efficiency in the demand-side of the energy market can help businesses reduce energy costs, improve competitiveness, and support national decarbonization goals.
During the panel discussion, Ablaza underscored the role of energy efficiency in accelerating industrial and commercial decarbonization, while Atty Dimalanta discussed the integration of smart infrastructure into the energy transition. The PE2 chief emphasized that while energy efficiency is no longer the clean energy underdog, the country must urgently address the need to rapidly offset the incremental energy consumption arising from the digitalization of economies. Atty. Dimalanta said, “Reaching our national targets of 35% renewable energy by 2030, 50% by 2040, and well over 50% by 2050 requires far more than simply adding generation. It demands building a grid truly suited for the energy system of tomorrow.” She likewise emphasized that building a modern grid requires “a flexible, responsive system capable of seeing, predicting, balancing, and adapting to changing energy demands.” Turning to financing barriers, Ablaza noted that driving energy efficiency requires "making contracts far more bankable for ESCOs and Energy-as-a-Service projects" by removing uncapped liabilities that deter institutional investors. Highlighting the role of digital innovation, Steley stressed that successfully integrating new technologies means “moving away from selling a standalone product and focusing on solving problems by delivering energy as a managed service.” Finally, examining corporate adoption, Burro noted that framing energy efficiency effectively relies on “moving past surface-level optics and demonstrating how decarbonization directly drives long-term cost-effectiveness and corporate performance.”
In a succeeding session, UGEP CEO Ruth Yu-Owen also shared the social impacts of the Solar Nanay Program, a community initiative that breaks traditional gender barriers by training Filipino mothers in solar panel installation, cleaning, and maintenance, providing women with dignified livelihoods while expanding community-level clean energy access. To her, women should never have to choose between caring for their families and building a career and that Solar Nanay is not just a form of Corporate Social Responsibility, it is workforce infrastructure.
PE2's presence at the forum reinforced a straightforward message: energy efficiency is not only about using less energy—it is about using energy more intelligently, measuring the results, and creating the conditions for businesses and the wider Philippine economy to become more competitive and sustainable.
