Cambodia needs solar to drive down electricity prices

According to the UNDP, a full economic evaluation of the costs and advantages of solar energy in the country is necessary, as Cambodia’s government is planning to expand its power system through coal and hydro.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has issued a request for proposal to select consultancy companies for the development of a “full economical appraisal of the potentials of solar PV energy in Cambodia”.

The UNDP stresses in the document that the costs of PV have fallen 83% in ten years, and a further 70% drop is expected by 2050, adding: “The technical feasibility of solar power is further strengthened by the complementary fall in the price of battery storage, which has progressively become a solution for the variability issues inherent to modern forms of renewable energies.”

Cambodia’s power demand is met by hydro and coal, which account for 40% and 36% of the electricity supply, respectively. Another 19% is met from electricity imports. “Clearly these sources have major environmental implications and hidden costs – nationally, regionally, and globally,” the UNDP says.

Read the full story: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2018/10/23/cambodia-needs-solar-to-drive-down-electricity-prices/

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