The Gujarat government stated that the project will make Modhera the first village in India to become a net renewable energy generator. More than 1,000 solar panels have been put on village homes.
Significantly, they will receive cost-free solar electricity. The village has a total geographical area of around 2,436 hectares and is located on the banks of the Pushpavati River in the state. It will be the country's first solar-powered village.
The village has a ground-mounted solar power plant, and over 1,300 rooftop solar systems with 1kW capacity have been installed on houses to generate electricity. All of these solar systems are linked to a battery energy storage system (BESS). During the day, solar panels will provide power to the village, while in the evening, BESS, India's first grid-connected megawatt-hour scale battery energy storage system, will provide power to the houses.
Both the central and state governments have invested over ?80 crores in this solar-development project in two phases, with the state allotting 12 hectares of area for the project. The Gujarat government stated that the project will make Modhera the first village in India to become a net renewable energy generator, demonstrating how renewable energy can empower people at the grassroots level. People in the village can save 60% to 100% on their electricity bills with this move.
