Solar to the rescue with blackouts

Yangon resident Aung Ko Gyi browses stalls for a solar power kit he can use to weather the blackouts that have become a constant feature of life in Myanmar four years on from a military coup.

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Yangon - Yangon resident Aung Ko Gyi browses stalls for a solar power kit he can use to weather the blackouts that have become a constant feature of life in Myanmar four years on from a military coup.

“I need power supply to use at night, to use a computer for my business and to use for internet connection,” the 64-year-old said at the country’s biggest annual solar exhibition.

Power outages are common in his township, a result of rolling blackouts scheduled by the junta government as it battles for control of areas seized by rebel groups.

Aung Bo Bo, another Yangon resident, bemoaned the power cut timetable that can see houses plunged into darkness 12 hours a day.