Recently, the Prime Minister of India announced Modhera, a village in the Mehsana district of Gujarat as India’s first solar-powered village. Located in the western region of India, this village is well-known for the Sun temple, an ancient site protected by the government. The Sun temple was built by King Bhima-I of the Chalukya dynasty in 1026-27 on the bank of the Pushpavati river. A new 3-D projection facility will soon enhance the tourist experience by providing information about the history of Modhera.
Modhera Village and Solar Power Generation
The highlight of Modhera becoming India’s first solar-powered village is its self-sufficiency in solar energy generation. With the help of 1000 solar panels installed on village houses, the village is capable of generating electricity 24/7. Ground Mounted Solar power plant and over 1300 Rooftop solar systems on residential and government buildings enhance the power generation capacity. Notably, all of these are integrated with Battery Energy storage systems (BESS), a system that uses batteries to store and transfer energy in the form of electricity.
Implications and Benefits of the Solar Power Initiative
This project is not just a milestone in improving India’s renewable energy capabilities but also a path towards empowerment for people at the grassroots level. Not only will the villagers use the electricity produced by the solar panels for free, they can even sell surplus energy back to the government grid. This leads to employment generation at the village level which in turn improves the living standards. Welfare projects also stand to benefit from sustainable implementation in such an environment.
On a practical day-to-day level, residents can expect to save between 60-100% of their electricity bills. This initiative relieves rural women and girls of the burden of collecting fuelwood and allows them to cook in smoke-free kitchens. Finally, the overall health of the community improves as it reduces the risk of lung and eye ailments.
The Current Status of Solar Energy in India
Over the past eight years, India’s installed solar energy capacity has increased by 19.3 times and currently stands at 56.6 GW. By the end of 2022, the target is to achieve a capacity of 175 GW, which further expands to 500 GW by 2030. As of June 2022, the top states for large-scale solar installations were Rajasthan and Gujarat, accounting for 53% and 14% of installations respectively, followed by Maharashtra with 9%.
Other Solar Initiatives in India
India has rolled out several schemes to boost the availability of solar energy. These include the Solar Park Scheme, which plans to build several solar parks across the country, the Rooftop Solar Scheme which aims to make use of residential rooftops for solar power generation, and the Atal Jyoti Yojana, launched in September 2016 for the installation of solar street lighting systems in areas with less than 50% households connected to the grid power. The National Solar Mission and SRISTI Scheme are other significant initiatives promoting ecologically sustainable growth and rooftop solar power projects respectively.
Challenges Related to Solar Energy in India
Despite the potential, India faces several challenges in harnessing solar energy. One major issue is the heavy reliance on imports as India lacks enough module and PV cell manufacturing capability. The most expensive raw material, the silicon wafer, required for solar cell production, is not manufactured in India, leading to 100% import dependency. Other key raw materials like silver and aluminium metal pastes needed for making electrical contacts are almost entirely imported too. Other challenges include the high land costs, inefficient solar PV cells, grid integration issues, conflicts with local communities and biodiversity protection norms, and pricing concerns.
Stepping Forward
While India has made significant advancements in solar PV module development, there’s a long way to go for it to become a self-sufficient manufacturing base. To achieve this, more policy interventions are required such as the promotion of indigenous technologies, training of skilled human resources, and long-term plans to develop homegrown technologies.