SU CED and DOST launch Microgrid and Sustainable Energy Laboratory
Silliman University (SU), through the College of Engineering and Design (CED), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) officially launched the Microgrid and Sustainable Energy Laboratory (MSEL) on August 20, 2025, at the Uytengsu Hall, SU CED.
The DOST-funded facility will play a pivotal role in advancing renewable energy and sustainable technologies in the region, serving not only as a hub for research, training, and innovation but a bridge between academia, industry, and communities toward a more resilient and sustainable energy future.
Spearheaded by project leader Dr. Maria Lorena L. Tuballa, immediate past dean of the CED, the MSEL is equipped with specialized tools for microgrid system design, testing, and development.
Dr. Enrico C. Paringit (second left), DOST-PCIEERD executive director, and Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon (center), assistant to the President for Institutional Affairs, lead the ribbon cutting for the MSEL launching. They are joined by Dr. Michael Lochinvar Abundo (left), OceanPixel Pte Ltd. CEO; Engr. Klint Ian V. Austero (second right), CED dean; and Dr. Maria Lorena L. Tuballa (right), MSEL project leader.
It will support collaborative research and capacity-building in areas such as microgrid control and optimization, renewable energy integration, and resiliency strategies.
How microgrids work
In her rationale, Tuballa explained that a microgrid is a small-scale power supply that is designed to provide power to small or smaller communities. It enables local power generation and comprises various small, renewable energy generating sources, making it highly flexible.
MSEL Project Leader Dr. Maria Lorena L. Tuballa shares the rationale of the MSEL.
“If you’re going to take a look at a typical structure of the microgrid, you can see that apart from the central generation and transmission, which is traditionally our power source, we get it from a centralized micro or small grid, so it’s able to connect or disconnect at appropriate times,” Tuballa said.
Unlike a big national power grid, a microgrid uses renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines, stores the energy in batteries, and then delivers it to homes, schools, or businesses in the area.
“The beauty of it is that it is a single, controllable entity, so it could run autonomously when needed. It can connect and disconnect from the grid… Whenever there are outages, it can function independently,” she added.
Microgrids work best in a country like the Philippines that often loses electricity when typhoons hit. Even if the main power supply from the mainland goes out, an area’s microgrid can keep the lights on, power water pumps, and run essential services until the larger grid is restored.
A vision for sustainable energy
Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon, assistant to the president for Institutional Affairs, emphasized that the laboratory is more than just an infrastructure.
“It is an arena where knowledge meets action, where research transforms into tangible solutions for real communities,” Villordon said.
“Here in Negros Island, the application of sustainable microgrid technologies can transform energy access, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and enhance climate resiliency,” she added.
Answering the call of the times
DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit highlighted the urgency of initiatives like the MSEL, citing global warnings about unsustainable energy practices.
DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit talks about the exciting features of the newly launched laboratory.
“The UN says our current way of life is unsustainable. By 2060, we could be using up 190 billion tons of materials every year,” Paringit explained.
Underscoring the significance of the event, Paringit said that “behind the name of this laboratory is an obvious and powerful idea: that we can build systems for generating, distributing, and, perhaps, consuming this energy in a smarter way. An avenue, perhaps, to think about cleaner technologies and making our communities more resilient.”
“Moments like today prove that we have choices,” he said.
He added that the facility is equipped with advanced systems such as custom-built smart microgrids, sensors, renewable energy kits, and weather stations—resources that would enable students and researchers to design clean energy solutions that may one day power homes, schools, and even entire barangays.
Combating climate change
Dr. Robert S. Guino-o II, executive director for Research, Publication, and Innovation (RPI), underscored the laboratory’s relevance in the face of climate change.
According to Guino-o, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that between 2017 and 2100—or even sooner—the world must shift its energy systems. This highlights the urgent need to adopt renewable energy as the planet’s primary source of power.
Dr. Robert S. Guino-o II, executive director for Research, Publication, and Innovation (RPI), explains the threats of climate change and the significance of the MSEL.
Carbon-based fossil fuels, such as petroleum, remain the leading contributors to climate change.
“MSEL presents an innovative platform for sustainable renewable energy utilization compared to our carbon-based fossil fuels. The age of fossil fuels will be over soon,” Guino-o said.
He also noted that renewable microgrids could empower off-grid communities, stimulate small enterprises, and reduce the Philippines’ dependence on costly fossil fuels.
A dream realized
Industry and academic partners also paid tribute to Dr. Tuballa’s vision.
Dr. Michael Lochinvar Abundo, CEO of OceanPixel Pte Ltd, recalled her ambition as a young engineering doctoral student in Singapore.
Industry partner Dr. Michael Lochinvar Abundo, OceanPixel Pte Ltd. CEO, shares the beginnings of the MSEL with Dr. Tuballa.
“She asked, ‘Why can’t we do this in the Philippines?’ Her passion and ambition to dream even when she was a student to bring something good back to Negros and Silliman was very admirable. Her dream started 10 years ago,” Abundo shared.
For Engr. Klint Ian V. Austero, current dean of the CED, the launch marks only the beginning.
“This is our first step in our movement… In our innovation. With the guidance of the DOST-PCIEERD, we now have a laboratory [on] which we can stand. We are very grateful for the support,” he said.
Representatives from Silliman University, DOST, DOST-PCIEERD, university partners, and industry partners pose after the event.
Also present to give their words of support were Engr. Rowen Gelonga, Officer-in-Charge Regional Director of the DOST Negros Island Region (NIR); Engr. Naomi Cossette R. Luis, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Operations, DOST Region VI; Atty. Gilbert R. Arbon, Provincial Director of DOST Negros Oriental; Engr. Junbelito B. Altamarino, SSC College of Engineering dean and an SU alumnus of Mechanical Engineering in 1991; and Asst. Prof. Janice M. Forster, SU Technology and Business Incubator (TBI) manager.
The inauguration featured a ribbon-cutting, unveiling of the laboratory marker, and a tour of the facility, followed by a short program. Representatives from Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), Siquijor State College (SSC), and industry partner OceanPixel Pte Ltd also joined the event.
