This represents a serious obstacle to grid extension in rural areas, especially at a scale and pace consistent with the attainment of SDG 7 and the needs of structural transformation. However, technological advances in renewable-energy and storage technologies have stimulated renewed interest in off-grid systems, bolstered by their potential contribution to decarbonization of the power sector, including through the hybridization of diesel-based generators and the islanding of local grids (Kempener etai., Beyond a certain break-even distance from the existing grid, capital costs may be lower for off-grid solutions than grid extension and conventional generators, as may operating costs, due to reduced transmission losses and potential fuel savings (Murray et al.,