01.11.2022
For the first time in India, a settlement has been completely solar-powered
Photo by: miodrag ignjatovic / iStock
The Modhera settlement in the state of Gujarat in western India has become the first in the country to be fully powered by solar energy. The settlement switched to green generation as a model project, according to the United Nations Press Service.
Modhera was formerly known for the ancient Temple of the Sun, built over 1,000 years ago. Now the temple itself and 1,300 of the 1,600 buildings in the settlement are connected to solar panels. Generators have been installed on schools, bus stops, outbuildings, car parks and other structures.
According to local residents, when they were first asked to equip their homes with photovoltaic panels, many did not understand the very idea of solar power and rejected the innovation. However, the project team was later able to persuade the villagers with the promise of substantial savings on their electricity bills.
According to Modhera residents, each family used to spend up to Rs 3,000 (RUB 2,237) per month on electricity bills for their homes. This is substantial money for India, where the average salary is just over 31,000 rupees (RUB 23,000).
With the switch to solar power, the village’s electricity bill became zero, and for some, even negative, as they began paying extra money from the government to transfer the surplus generated energy to the local grid.
UN specialists specified that people were able to save the money saved or spend it on their children’s education.
The Sun Temple has launched a three-dimensional light show powered entirely by solar energy, and charging stations for electric cars have been installed in a nearby car park.
Modhera’s power system is connected to a 6-megawatt power plant in the neighbouring village of Sujanpur. The entire village consumes no more than 2 megawatts, so the surplus is sent to the distribution network. The third element of the system is a 15-megawatt battery storage facility to supply electricity at night.
The total cost of the project, funded by the Government of India and the Gujarat state government, was $9.7 million.
The pilot initiative should prove the viability of the idea as well as help learn how to find and solve renewable energy problems. If the project proves economically successful, the state government will begin converting other villages to green energy.
Cover photo: Povorozniuk Liudmyla / iStock
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