Decentralized solar PV systems for energy resilience: Lessons from Myanmar's post-2021 political turmoil using field test data

Myanmar's post-2021 power crisis has led to persistent load shedding, with grid electricity often available for only a few hours per day. This study evaluates whether decentralized solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with battery storage can sustain essential loads and reduce diesel use under these conditions. Using one year of 5-min operational data from a 22 kWp grid-connected PV-battery system in Yangon, the outage-conditioned technical, economic, and emissions performance were assessed. A PV-first energy-flow allocation and hourly grid-presence tagging are applied, using planned load-shedding schedules as a proxy for outages. The system generated 14.126 MWh per year, of which 12.721 MWh (approximately 86%) was self-consumed directly or via storage. PV supplied 47.1% of annual electricity demand, and PV plus storage covered approximately 77% of top-decile peak-demand hours. Average battery round-trip efficiency was 90.8%. Under standard assumptions, the levelized cost of electricity was 0.234 USD per kWh. When diesel displacement during outages was considered, simple payback periods ranged from 6.06 to 8.46 years. Annual avoided emissions are approximately 8.53 tCO2. Seasonal effects are modest, indicating stable performance throughout the year. Statistical analysis confirms that on-site PV utilization is the primary driver of daily PV contribution, with battery discharge extending supply into non-solar hours. Overall, the results demonstrate that decentralized PV-battery systems can deliver meaningful energy resilience in fragile-grid contexts. The proposed evaluation framework is transferable to other locations using local operational data, tariffs, fuel prices, and outage profiles.