Solar power can provide electricity for the whole country by 2031, said U Thoung Win, chairman of the Renewable Energy Association Myanmar on March 11.
“Solar power takes only one day to install in a house in a province.
For a whole village, it takes about a month. We are now trying to
install power systems that operate on the megawatt level instead of the
kilowatt level,” he said.
As Myanmar’s electricity deficit worsens, the country is in need of alternative energy, U Thoung Win said.
Industrial
zones in Pakokku, Myingyan, Mandalay and Taunggyi will easily benefit
from solar power, he said, because the areas are constantly exposed to
sun and heat.
Foreign investors are showing a keen interest in
solar power, U Thoung Win said. More than 40 companies, mostly from
China, are now importing solar panels.
One drawback to solar
power is the high cost. However, the price of solar panels is
decreasing. While a 100-watt capable solar panel cost K500,000 three
years ago, the same solar panel – about three feet long – costs
K150,000.
Another drawback is quality control, U Thoung Win said.
“China’s
big companies export solar panels to European countries that have gone
through the quality control process. However, with Myanmar, solar panels
are coming through the border trade at Shweli. Most of these panels are
rejected by the factories or did not pass quality control.
“We need to be careful with that because it can cause major technical issues during installation,” he said.
Solar
energy requires a wide space of land, as a one megawatt solar panel
needs two acres of space. The most suitable locations for solar power
are Bago, Magway and Sagaing regions, he said.
Currently, only 26
percent of the whole country has access to electricity. Among that
26pc, only 4pc in rural areas have access to electricity. Only 3000
villages out of 68,000 have light.
source: The Myanmar Times
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