On October 9, 2022 Modhera, a village in the Mehsana district of Gujarat was declared as the first round-the-clock solar-powered village in India. About Modhera Modhera is located 35 km away from Mehsana district headquarters of Gujarat. It is famous for its Sun temple, a protected ancient site, which is situated on the river Pushpavati. It was constructed in 1026–1027 by Chalukya dynasty King Bhima–I. The temple was constructed in the Chaulukya (Maru-Gurjara) architectural style. It also hosts a solar-powered 3D projection facility installed at its premises to give visitors information about the village's history. The temple has also the Heritage Lighting, making it the first heritage site in India to run only on solar power. Solar Power Generation The solar power village uses 1000 solar panels that have been installed on the village homes to generate electricity for the villagers around-the-clock, making it self-sufficient in solar energy generation. It is created using a ground-mounted solar power plant and more than 1300 rooftop solar systems on homes and government structures that are all connected to battery energy storage devices (BESS). The village will be powered throughout the day by solar panels, and in the evening, the BESS will power the homes. A BESS is a particular kind of energy storage device that stores and disperses energy in the form of electricity using batteries. The state provided 12 hectares of land for the project's implementation, which was done in two phases. For this initiative, the national and state governments have each contributed about Rs. 80 crore. Benefits The initiative will show how India's expertise in renewable energy can empower local residents. Instead of paying for electricity, the villagers might start to profit from the solar panel's energy output by selling it to the public grid. In the long run, it will raise living standards by creating jobs at the village level. It will improve the long-term execution of numerous welfare programmes in the region. Residents would be able to save between 60 and 100 percent on their electricity costs. It will lessen the tedium experienced by rural women and girls who must travel great distances to gather fuel wood and cook in smoky kitchens. Additionally, it will reduce the likelihood of developing lung and eye conditions. Status of Solar Energy in India The installed solar energy capacity (as on June 2022), stands at 56.6 GW. It has multiplied 19.3 times over the past eight years. India has also set a lofty goal to produce 175 GW of renewable energy by the end of 2022, which will increase to 500 GW by 2030. India ranked third globally and second in Asia for new solar PV capacity. In terms of overall installations, it came in at number four (60.4 GW), passing Germany (59.2 GW) for the first time. Rajasthan and Gujarat, which accounted for 53% and 14%, respectively, of installations as of June 2022, were the top states for large-scale solar, followed by Maharashtra with 9%. Related Initiatives Solar Park Scheme: The Solar Park Scheme intends to construct a number of solar parks with a combined capacity of roughly 500 MW in various states. Rooftop Solar Scheme: The Rooftop Solar Scheme puts solar panels on the roofs of homes in an effort to harness solar energy. Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY): For the installation of solar street lighting (SSL) systems in states with less than 50% of homes connected to the grid, the AJAY scheme was introduced in September 2016. National Solar Mission: The Government of India and State Governments have launched a significant initiative to encourage environmentally friendly growth while addressing India's energy security issue. SRISTI Scheme: To encourage rooftop solar power projects in India, the Sustainable Rooftop Implementation of Solar Transfiguration of India (SRISTI) scheme has been implemented. Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan: The scheme covers grid-connected Renewable Energy power plants (0.5 – 2 MW)/Solar water pumps/grid connected agriculture pumps. International Solar Alliance (ISA): The ISA, is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the Conference of the Parties (COP-21), with 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members. One Sun, One World, One Grid: It has been taken up under the technical assistance program of the World Bank. Its objective is to aid in developing a worldwide grid through which clean energy can be transmitted anywhere, anytime. Challenges Related to Solar Energy in India Heavy Dependence on Imports: Manufacturing capacity for PV modules and cells is insufficient in India. The annual production capacity for solar modules is currently 15 GW, although domestic output is just about 3.5 GW. Additionally, only 3-4 GW of the 15 GW of module production capacity are technologically competitive and deserving of being deployed in grid-based projects. Raw Material Supply: The most expensive raw material, silicon wafer, is not produced in India. Currently, it imports 80% or more of its cells and 100% of its silicon wafers. Other important raw materials, such the metal pastes used to make electrical contacts out of silver and aluminium, are likewise virtually entirely imported. Inefficiencies in Solar PV cells: The utility-scale solar PV market is still struggling with issues like high T&D losses and other inefficiencies, land costs, and grid integration difficulties. Issues related to Biodiversity: Conflicts with regional communities and laws governing biodiversity protection have also occurred. Pricing issue: Although India has set records for low solar power generation tariffs in the utility-scale sector, this has not resulted in lower electricity prices for end users. Way Forward India is making great strides in the creation of solar PV modules, but in order for it to become a manufacturing hub, more policy interventions will be needed, such as the creation of indigenous technologies. In the short term, this could involve collaborating with the industry to provide it with trained labor, process learnings, and root-cause analysis through appropriate testing, and in the long run, it could mean the creation of indigenous technologies in India.