Gujarat’s Modhera is Now the First 24X7 Fully Solarised Village of India

Modhera exhibits a fine amalgamation of rich traditions and modernity today. The Gujarat village which is known for its eleventh century-built majestic Sun Temple situated on the bank of the Pushpavati River, has become the first village in the country that is powered round the clock by solar energy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Modhera in Mehsana district to dedicate the project to the people and said that Gujarat will soon start selling electricity and nobody would require paying for the electricity in the temple town. The Prime Minister said, “Now we will not pay for electricity, but start selling it and earn from it. Till a while back, the government used to supply electricity to citizens but now, with the installation of solar panels, citizens will produce their own electricity.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated other development projects and participated in various programmes in Modhera. He is on a three-day visit to Gujarat where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple projects having a worth of more than Rs 3,900 crore at Modhera function.

Sun Temple and Sun Power

The Modhera solar project involved the construction of a ground-mounted solar power plant and over 1,300 rooftop solar systems on households and government buildings.

The Prime Minister held, “Modhera, which is associated with the Sun Temple will also be known for its strides in solar energy. Big day for Modhera as it takes a giant leap towards harnessing solar power.”

Modi also mentioned that house owners and farmers of Modhera have now become owners of electricity and now everything will run on solar power be it the light, farm, buses and vehicles.

The Integrated Solar Energy Project at Modhera also features a battery energy storage system (BESS) which is one of the biggest in the country under operation. The project features a 6 MW grid connected system with 6MVA BESS system with 18 MWh Battery energy storage system besides a strong rooftop solar installation throughout the town.

The progress in Modhera should encourage faster switch to solar power in other cities with a combination of high tourist traffic and historical monument that could do with less pollution, from Agra to Varanasi to Madurai and more.