Abstract
Myanmar’s growing economy has received increasing attention in recent years. However, low electrification hampers economic growth. For greater electrification, both centralized (main grid extension) and decentralized approaches should be considered. We compared distributed micro-grids powered by solar photovoltaics (PV) and conventional diesel as electrification options by calculating the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) based on primary data collected through interviews and field surveys in Myanmar. The results showed that diesel’s LCOE was not low because of higher fuel prices in off-grid areas and a PV system with batteries was cost-competitive. Increasing daytime electricity demand can improve PV operation efficiency.
