Philippines makes a deal with Advantec of Japan to use solar power.

Advantec, a Japanese company that runs solar power systems, signed an agreement with the Philippines on Thursday to provide green energy to workplaces. The company hopes to eventually set up emergency backup power systems in the Philippines.

More than 30 companies and other buildings in the Pampanga Economic Zone, north of Manila, will get solar power systems that can produce 3.6 gigawatt-hours of electricity every year. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), which is part of the Department of Trade and Industry, will send power from the panels to companies.

In addition to cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions, moving some power to solar power is expected to lower the price of energy by more than 10%. In the Philippines, the price of electricity is said to be higher than in other Southeast Asian countries.

At an event in Manila on Thursday, Noriaki Sanada, head of Advantec Philippines' local branch, said, "We use our ecosystems, which include solar power systems, battery storage, and energy management systems, and then build a smart city."

When businesses move into the economic zone, they will have access to "clean quality renewable energy sources and, more importantly, cheaper cost of power," according to Tereso Panga, director general of PEZA.

Advantec's main job is to make parts for machines used to make semiconductors, but it also runs more than 60 solar power farms in Japan. This is the first time the company has sent clean energy to plants outside of the United States.