Solar Energy: Illuminated Houses Even At Night In The Sun, Gujarat Shows The Direction Of Light By Using Solar Energy

The first phase of elections is over in the state of Modi-Shah. The BJP government has been ruling Gujarat for almost two decades. This time also BJP is hoping that the lotus flower will bloom in that state. Meanwhile, solar power was installed in almost every house in Modhera village of Gujarat before the elections. Prime Minister Modi first announced Modhera village as the country’s first solar-powered village. And as a result of the introduction of this solar power, the residents will save 60 to 100 percent of their electricity. Incidentally, the Sun Temple is located in this Modhera. Modi has brought about a kind of revolution in Gujarat by bringing solar power. Gujarat is developing completely separately from other states and cities of the country.

5 percent of the country’s 1.4 billion population lives in Gujarat. And 6 percent of the total land area is in this state. Two-thirds of the houses in India’s Gujarat have solar power, though it is negligible compared to the rest of the country. The Modi government has repeatedly said that by 2030, half of the country’s total electricity will come from renewable energy sources. And the goal is net zero emissions by 2070. And to reach this goal, India needs a lot more solar power. Only 7 percent of the current total electricity demand comes from solar power.

But the hope is that India has enough solar power generation capacity to meet the target. 300 days out of 365 days of the year, the face of the sun is visible in the sky in India. By 2030, including battery storage costs, solar power will be cheaper than coal-fired power, according to the IEA. But there is still a long way to go. 370 GW of solar power generation by 2030. But how will Gujarat guide the country towards solar power?

The year is 2010. The National Solar Mission Policy was launched by the government to promote the use of solar power and the installation of solar panels on one’s home roof. In 2019, the Gujarat government launched its own subsidized system Surya. The project is named after the Hindu god Surya. And the aim is to produce 1.6 GW of electricity by the end of March 2022 by installing about 8 lakh solar units. Meanwhile, from 2019 to 2022, despite not reaching the desired target, Gujarat has progressed well in solar power production. Solar power generation in 2019 was 0.085 GW. It increased to 1.2 GW in March 2022. This state has managed to produce up to 77 percent of the target. But how did Gujarat achieve the 77 percent target within three years?

• Ensuring Adequate Supply: A large number of vendors have been created in Gujarat for the sale and installation of solar panels in the homes of the residents of Gujarat.
• Ensuring Adequate Demand: In the case of solar power, the subsidy should be ensured to reach the public through SMS, social media, and other means.
• Digitization: The State has developed a single digital portal that facilitates both the consumer and the seller in all stages from initial registration for a subsidy to final payment. And digital portals also help keep transactions transparent.
• Timely subsidy disbursement: The digital portal also updates the subsidy status on a daily basis.

Then the study by IEEFA and JMK showed that the solar power capacity will increase by 60 percent to 3.2 GW by March 2023. And in this case, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Haryana will be in the first row.