Over 140 industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators gathered to accelerate the adoption of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) through cross-sector collaboration.
The Berde Renewables Collaboration Summit 2025: Powering Partnerships, held at Makati Shangri-La, Manila, successfully brought together over 140 energy leaders, government officials, and business executives from across Southeast Asia. The event sought to accelerate the deployment of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and champion regional energy resilience and sustainability.
The summit emphasized the power of collaboration in reshaping the energy landscape, with a focus on distributed energy resource (DER) technologies such as rooftop solar, battery storage, and smart grid systems. It brought together participants from industries including energy, finance, telecommunications, real estate, insurance, digital infrastructure, engineering-procurement-construction (EPC), and government, fostering a dynamic environment of knowledge-sharing and strategic alignment.
“We are stronger together,” said Patrick Zhu, Co-founder and President of Berde Renewables Inc., in his opening remarks. “This summit is just the beginning. New ideas are welcome because the stakes are too high to stand alone. Together, we will build greener futures.”
In line with this, keynote speaker Guido Delgado, Chairman of GAA Delgado Inc., underscored the urgent need for decentralization during his talk. Reflecting on recent large-scale outages across Asia and Latin America, Delgado asserted, “DERs are key to building a secure, resilient, and sustainable energy future. The solution is to bring power to the people.”
Atty. Bobby Fondevilla, Executive Director of Investment Assistance Center of the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI), highlighted the Philippines’ strategic position in attracting clean energy investments. He noted the government’s commitment to providing fiscal incentives to projects listed in the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan, aiming to position the country as a regional hub for sustainability-driven industries.
Edward Neri, OIC of Solar Energy Management Group (SEMG) of the Department of Energy (DOE) discussed the national renewable energy program and policies promoting energy self-reliance. He emphasized the importance of the expanded roof-mounted solar program and the Philippine Energy Plan 2023–2050, which targets more than 50% renewable energy share by 2050.
Engr. Froilan Savet, Meralco’s FVP and Head of Networks, emphasized integration and intelligence in grid evolution during his talk. “Every new DER connection must strengthen, not strain the grid. With AI and smart technologies, we’re building a system that is not only decentralized but also stable, secure, and responsive.”
Milan Zabat, Business Development and Senior Solution Manager of Huawei Philippines, addressed innovations in Battery Energy Storage Systems. He stressed the importance of safety and advanced technologies like grid-forming inverters to support the integration of renewable energy into the grid, ensuring resilience and efficiency.
Berde Renewables Co-founder Morris Zhou concluded the summit with a call to action: “Collaboration is not just desirable, it is essential. Across sectors and borders, I see alignment. Let us build it side by side. Let us help you bring it to life.”
With strong support from I Squared Capital and insights from leaders such as Atty. Bobby Fondevilla of the BOI and Edward Neri of the DOE, the summit highlighted the Philippines’ emerging leadership in clean energy and reaffirmed Berde’s bold mission to deliver 5,000 megawatts of distributed energy across Southeast Asia within five years.
The summit served not only as a platform for knowledge and partnership but also as a catalyst for long-term innovation in the region’s energy sector, powering a clean, collaborative, and community-driven future.
