Jessa I. Quesada

"The future is already here—it's just unevenly distributed” William Gibson

This quote resonates with me because I know what it feels like to see what the future looks like in other parts of the world, while waiting for that same future to arrive in mine. Using perspectives that are unique to me, I want to contribute to shaping the future and help distribute it more evenly.

Currently, I am a PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Western University and a recipient of the Canadian Impact+ Research Training Award—a one-time initiative designed to recruit international or returning Canadian students and postdoctoral researchers to Canada. I am a member of the FAST (Free Appropriate Sustainability Technology) research group directed by Dr. Joshua Pearce. My research focus is on agrivoltaics—the combination of agriculture and solar photovoltaics on the same space of land.

I received my Master of Science in Energy Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman, the Top #1 university in the Philippines. My research at the Geomatics for Sustainability and Renewable Energy Laboratory focused on agrivoltaics as a decarbonization pathway for the Philippines, examining solar PV suitability across croplands, crop compatibility with agrivoltaic systems, and supportive policy frameworks. I have also worked on diverse research projects in the Philippines: solar PV resource assessment, energy forecasting, microgrids, energy transition planning, and sustainability assessment of solar home systems. I have contributed in developing solar PV output forecasting models and contributing to utility-scale microgrid planning frameworks. My work has resulted in publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences.

Google Scholar | ResearchGate | LinkedIn

I want to do research on sustainable renewable energy and have recently worked on agrivoltaics suitability for the Philippine context. I am also interested in understanding how communities and stakeholders adopt solar as a sustainable energy solution. I want to further explore the intersection of solar and agriculture, examining both the technical potential and how communities actually adopt these systems—particularly how perceptions, policies, and future conditions influence adoption patterns.

My agrivoltaics suitability assessment in the Philippines reveals significant potential to contribute to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By mapping croplands suitable for agrivoltaic integration and analyzing crop compatibility, I've identified where these dual-benefit systems could feasibly work—but my research also exposed critical gaps. While the technical potential is clear, adoption barriers remain largely unexplored:

• What policies would make these systems affordable for smallholder farmers?
• What information and support would communities need to transition from conventional farming?
• How do local perceptions and economic constraints shape real-world adoption decisions?

These questions drive my future research interests. I want to move beyond "where can agrivoltaics work?" to "how can communities actually implement and benefit from these systems?” This requires combining technical assessment with participatory research approaches that center farmer perspectives and economic feasibility.

My work involved geospatial analysis to assess renewable energy potential and suitability. These methodologies are transferable across different renewable energy applications and contexts. However, I recognize that technical assessment alone is insufficient for equitable energy transitions. I seek opportunities to integrate participatory research approaches that center community perspectives and economic feasibility—combining technical assessment with community-engaged methods to better understand real-world adoption barriers and solutions to sustainable renewable energy. I'm also interested in evolving my research approach to incorporate open-source principles and appropriate technology frameworks—moving beyond technical assessment toward solutions that are accessible, replicable, and community-driven.

While an MS Graduate Fellow at the Geomatics for Sustainability and Renewable Energy Laboratory (UP Diliman), my research focused on geospatial analysis of agrivoltaic deployment potential across Philippine croplands, examining agrivoltaic suitability, crop compatibility, and policy frameworks.

See: Agrivoltaic Suitability Assessment for the Philippines

• J. A. Ibañez, I. B. Benitez, and J. A. Principe, “Geospatial Analysis of Agrivoltaic Suitability in the Philippines,” The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, vol. XLVIII-5-W4-2025, pp. 135–142, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-5-W4-2025-135-2026.
• G. A. Abantao, J. A. Ibañez,  et al., “Utility-Scale Grid-Connected Microgrid Planning Framework for Sustainable Renewable Energy Integration,” Energies, vol. 17, no. 20, Art. no. 20, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.3390/en17205206.
• J. A. Ibañez, I. B. Benitez, J. M. Cañete, J. C. Magadia, and J. A. Principe, “Accuracy assessment of satellite-based and reanalysis solar irradiance data for solar PV output forecasting using SARIMAX,” Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, vol. 15, no. 6, p. 066101, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1063/5.0160488.
• I. B. Benitez, J. A. Ibañez, C. I. D. Lumabad, J. M. Cañete, and J. A. Principe, “Day-Ahead Hourly Solar Photovoltaic Output Forecasting Using SARIMAX, Long Short-Term Memory, and Extreme Gradient Boosting: Case of the Philippines,” Energies, vol. 16, no. 23, Art. no. 23, Jan. 2023, doi: 10.3390/en16237823.
• G. A. Abantao, J. A. Ibañez, P. E. D. C. Bundoc, L. L. Blas, X. N. Penisa, E. A. Esparcia, Jr., M. T. Castro, R. V. E. Buendia, K. E. S. Pilario, A. E. D.C. Tio, I. B. N. C. Cruz, J. D. Ocon, and C. M. F. Odulio, “Generation and Network Planning of Utility-Scale Grid-Connected Microgrids,” Chemical Engineering Transactions, vol. 103, pp. 877–882, Oct. 2023, doi: 10.3303/CET23103147.
• B. Benitez, J. A. Ibañez, C. D. Lumabad III, J. M. Cañete, F. N. De los Reyes, and J. A. Principe, “A novel data gaps filling method for solar PV output forecasting,” Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, vol. 15, no. 4, p. 046102, Aug. 2023, doi: 10.1063/5.0157570.
• K. E. S. Pilario, J. A. Ibañez, X. N. Penisa, J. B. Obra, C. M. F. Odulio, and J. D. Ocon, “Spatio-Temporal Solar–Wind Complementarity Assessment in the Province of Kalinga-Apayao, Philippines Using Canonical Correlation Analysis,” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 6, Art. no. 6, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.3390/su14063253.

• I. B. Benitez, J. A. Ibañez, C. D. Lumabad III, J. M. Cañete, and J. A. Principe, “Comparison of CLOT-Adjusted AHI-8/9 and FY-4A Solar Irradiance Products for Solar PV Power Output Forecasting Using LSTM,” in Transition Towards a Carbon Free Future: Selected Papers from the World Renewable Energy Congress (WREC) 2023, A. Sayigh, Ed., Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024, pp. 191–201. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-61660-0_14.

(Peer-Reviewed)

• J. A. Principe, J. A. Ibañez, and I. B. Benitez, “Collaborative Research for the Development of Localized Solar PV Output Forecasting Models for the Philippines Using Geospatial Data,” in ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Copernicus GmbH, Nov. 2024, pp. 143–150. doi: 10.5194/isprs-annals-X-5-2024-143-2024.
• C. J. A. Gavina, J. A. Ibañez, I. B. Benitez, C. D. Lumabad III, and J. A. Principe, “Assessment of Reanalysis Data for Solar PV Output Forecasting in the Philippines: Case of Pangasinan, Negros Occidental, and Davao del Norte,” The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, vol. XLVIII-4-W8-2023, pp. 279–284, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-4-W8-2023-279-2024.
• J. M. Cañete, I. B. Benitez, M. D. a. I. Bauzon, M. E. Sotto, J. A. Ibañez, and J. A. Principe, “Development of a webGIS for Solar PV Resource and Installation Assessment Using Geospatial Technologies,” The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, vol. XLVIII-4-W8-2023, pp. 107–112, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-4-W8-2023-107-2024.
• M. E. Sotto, J. A. Ibañez, I. B. Benitez, and J. A. Principe, “Assessment of Potential Solar PV Output Derived from Remotely-sensed Solar Irradiance Data and Different Tilt Angles,” presented at the 2023 Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS2023), Taipei, Taiwan, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://a-a-r-s.org/proceeding/ACRS2023/Spatial%20Information%20Sciences/ACRS2023178.pdf
• J. A. Principe, L. G. Gerna, I. B. Benitez, J. A. Ibañez, J. M. Cañete, and C. C. Mercado, “Outdoor Performance Analysis of Mono-Si and Poly-Si Solar PV Panels in the Philippines,” in 2023 IEEE/IAS Industrial and Commercial Power System Asia (I&CPS Asia), Jul. 2023, pp. 1464–1469. doi: 10.1109/ICPSAsia58343.2023.10294441.
• I. Benitez, L. Gerna, J. A. Ibañez, J. Principe, and F. De Los Reyes, “Use of SARIMAX Model for Solar PV Power Output Forecasting in Baguio City, Philippines,” in 2022 International Conference and Utility Exhibition on Energy, Environment and Climate Change (ICUE), Oct. 2022, pp. 1–7. doi: 10.1109/ICUE55325.2022.10113538.
• J. A. Ibañez, M. A. Pedrasa, and J. Magadia, “Relationship of Economic Growth and CO2 Emissions in the Philippines: An EKC Hypothesis Testing Case Study,” in 2019 9th International Conference on Power and Energy Systems (ICPES), Dec. 2019, pp. 1–5. doi: 10.1109/ICPES47639.2019.9105362.

• Poster Presentation, “Geospatial Analysis of Agrivoltaic Suitability in the Philippines,” Philippine Geomatic Symposium 2025 at the University of the Philippines Diliman, November 25, 2025.
• Forum Presentation with Proceedings: J. A. Ibañez and J. A. Principe, “Geospatial Assessment of Agrivoltaics Potential for Various Crops: Case of Mindanao, Philippines,” The 32nd IIS Forum Proceedings, pp. 62–69, Mar. 2025.  You can download the proceeding here.
• Colloquium Presentation, “Assessment of Agrivoltaic Potential in Mindanao Using Geospatial Data,” 2025 Mindanao Renewable Energy Research Colloquium in Davao City, January 17, 2025.
• Paper Presentation, “Relationship of Economic Growth and CO2 Emissions in the Philippines: An EKC Hypothesis Testing Case Study,” 9th International Conference on Power and Energy Systems (ICPES 2019) in Perth, Australia, December 10-12, 2019.

• J. A. Ibañez, I. B. Benitez, and J. A. Principe, "Agrivoltaics as a decarbonization pathway for the Philippines,” submitted to Renewable Energy Focus, 2025.

🇨🇦 Canada Impact+ Research Training Award - Doctoral (Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) — 2026-2029

🇵🇭 Master of Science (MS) Graduate Fellow (Funded by the Career Incentive Program of DOST-SEI) — 2022-2025

🇵🇭 Department of Science and Technology – Engineering Research and Development for Technology (DOST-ERDT) Scholar — 2017-2019

🇵🇭 Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) Region XI Scholar — 2011-2016

• Agrivoltaics services
• Agrivoltaics adoption
• Kale response to shading