Leandro Leviste dropped out of Yale University to start his own solar company in the Philippines after seeing success investing in solar stocks. He used the profits to found Solar Philippines, which has become Southeast Asia's largest developer of photovoltaic power plants. Some of Solar Philippines' biggest projects include solar facilities for malls and commercial centers. Most recently, the company constructed a $120 million, 160-hectare solar farm in Batangas that is expected to offset over 1 million tons of carbon dioxide and boost the local economy. Solar Philippines is now the top solar power provider in the Philippines and aims to become Southeast Asia's largest developer of rooftop power plants.

1. Successful Investment

3. LEANDRO LEVISTE

4. Senator Loren Legarda’s son with former Batangas
governor Antonio Leviste gave up his studies at the
prestigious Yale University to start his own solar
company in the Philippines. Now 22 years old,
Leandro Leviste is a happy college dropout with no
plans of going back to school anytime soon. Leviste
became interested in the solar business when he saw
his stocks in Solar City, America’s largest solar
energy provider, double to $50 from the $25 he
bought it at two years ago. “This all started when I
started investing my savings into solar stocks in the
U.S. and I saw the prices started going up. I thought
I can do this in the Philippines,” he said.

5. Using the proceeds from the sale of the Nasdaq-
listed company, Leviste founded his own startup.
Just on its second year of operation, Solar
Philippines now claims to be Southeast Asia’s
biggest developer of photovoltaic (PV) power
plants. From building 10 times the country’s
solar capacity in its maiden year of doing
business, the company already targets meeting
the Department of Energy’s six- to seven-year
goal of having 50 megawatts (MW)-worth of PV
systems in the country by the first half of 2015.

6. Some of the company’s biggest
projects to date include the installation
of a 0.7-MW PV system for Central
Mall in Biñan, Laguna, the 0.65-MW
solar facility for City Mall Commercial
Centers in Roxas City, Iloilo, the 1.2-
MW solar plant for Robinsons Place
Palawan, and the 1.5-MW solar
rooftop at SM North EDSA.

7. Just recently, the biggest solar facility in the country
consisting of 160-hectare farm in Calatagan, Batangas was
constructed. It generates heat from the sun, providing power
to the western part of Batangas. Solar Philippines—a
renewable energy firm led by 22-year-old entrepreneur
Leandro Leviste—developed, financed and constructed the
solar farm at a cost of $120 million (P5.7 billion).
Comprising more than 200,000 panels built by 2,500 people,
this solar farm was completed ahead of other projects backed
by conglomerates and foreign investors. The farm started
generating power weeks before March 15, 2016 government
deadline to obtain fiscal incentives. Calatagan Solar Farm is
expected to offset over 1 million tons of carbon dioxide,
equivalent to planting 5 million trees. Now that this farm
has been switched on, it is expected to continue to employ at
least 100 people and boost the economy of Batangas.

9. Solar Philippines is now on its way to
become the Philippines’ top solar
power provider and Southeast Asia’s
largest developer of rooftop power
plants. The company offers solar
financing, design and construction for
commercial customers at zero cost and
supplies electricity at below utility
rates.

10. Ready for your business analysis on Saturday?
We will not be meeting in our class please do
your group work.