Economic Comparison of Microgrid Systems for Rural Electrification in Myanmar

Myanmar has one of the lowest rural electrification rates in the world, with only approximately 16% of its rural population having access to electricity. Promoting rural electrification is considered to be the key for inclusive socioeconomic development in Myanmar. However, grid extension faces huge challenge in rural areas of Myanmar due to the low population density and electricity demand, which creates opportunities for microgrid systems. This study seeks to provide an economic comparison of various microgrid systems in order to discover the most economically efficient microgrid system for rural electrification in each district of Myanmar in different time periods. Five microgrid systems, solar microgrid (SMG), diesel microgrid (DMG), biogas microgrid (BMG), solar & diesel microgrid (SDMG) and solar & biogas microgrid (SBMG), are studied in this paper. Models of demand projection and cost estimation are established to reflect the dynamics of energy demands and system costs in different regions over time. Moreover, simulations by HOMER are carried out to demonstrate the ideal economically efficient microgrid system for each district of Myanmar in different time periods. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.