First Gen Group has completed solar carport installations at two South Supermarket branches in the Philippines, located in Malolos, Bulacan, and Los Banos, Laguna. The projects became operational in late May 2026 after about a year of construction. Each site uses over 1,600 photovoltaic panels with a combined capacity of 1 megawatt-peak, generating power during peak daytime hours when supermarket energy demand is highest. The solar installations are expected to prevent an estimated 527 tons of carbon emissions annually, which First Gen says equals the carbon absorbed by more than 24,200 trees each year. The company's vice president for solar and commercial business development, Mark Malabanan, stated that the projects have already started delivering cost savings on electricity consumption for the supermarket chain. Grand Union Supermarket Inc., which owns South Supermarket, operates 13 branches nationwide and plans to roll out more energy solutions across its network. First Gen is the largest renewable energy producer in the Philippines, operating 31 facilities powered by solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. This project marks the first solar carports that First Gen built from the ground up, signaling a growing trend of commercial retail spaces adopting on-site solar generation to lower operating costs and reduce reliance on grid electricity.
