Amid the enthusiasm of the Chhath Puja festival, which involves worshipping the Sun God in India, the country emerges as one of the leading nations in solar. PM Modi in his latest Mann ki Baat episode addressed the nation saying solar energy is the world’s future and India is among the leading nations in generating electricity from solar energy. The sun god has been worshipped for centuries and is also the center of our lifestyle in India.
Solar energy has emerged victorious in transforming the lives of the poor and middle class in India especially benefitting the farmers in the agriculture sector. After the recent solarization of the temple village of Modhera, Gujarat villagers will be provided with free electricity at zero cost. India receives ample sunlight and it makes sense to harness this energy and convert it into electricity.
Modhera Sun Temple, Gujarat
Now people from Modhera are not paying for electricity but receiving cheques for electricity generated from solar energy which can now be utilized for other household expenses as well as for children’s education. Modhera now meets its entire electricity demand with a 6 MW solar plant and a 15 MWh battery energy storage system. More than 270 houses in Modhera village have installed rooftop solar systems. This is encouraging other Indian villagers to be a part of the “Surya Gram” Program.
With the increased deployment of solar power, India’s coal demand is expected to witness a steep fall following the next decade. The government’s renewable energy policies are encouraging in India and if followed wisely and on time could result in curbing the country’s emission levels and carbon footprint. Clean energy alternatives are now cheaper and more efficient when compared to dirty coal and gas. While Russia’s attack on Ukraine is the main cause of the global energy crisis, it can also be viewed as an opportunity to implement faster adoption of cleaner and greener sources of energy. For example, the U.S. recent Inflation Reduction Act promotes clean energy and India and China’s ambitious clean energy targets.
