Gujarat And Its Affinity with Renewable Energy.

The Sun is smiling brightly on Gujarat's Modhera, the place famous for its Sun Temple.

You might have heard this news that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (9 October) declared the Modhera village in Mehsana district as India's first 24x7 solar-powered village.

"Earlier Modhera was known only for the beautiful Sun Temple, but now Modhera will be known as a solar village and will become an example of renewable energy-led rural development," the Prime Minister said in his public address in Modhera.

As part of the project, they developed a ground-mounted solar power plant in addition to installing 1,300 rooftop solar systems on top of residential and government buildings. The solar systems are integrated with a 15Mwh battery energy storage system. This makes up a 6MW grid.

Solar energy is thus available to Modhera round the clock.

"Whenever there will be talks of solar power, Modhera will be the first name to emerge. Because here everything is running on solar power. Whether it is light, farm; even effort is being made to run buses, vehicles on solar power," Prime Minister Modi said.

According to the Gujarat government, the village residents will be able to save 60 to 100 per cent on their electricity bills with the solar push.

After such a fabulous stroke by Gujarat in the direction of a clean and sustainable future, today I decided to dedicate our blog on Gujarat's records in the area of innovative efforts regarding renewable energy projects. Believe me, after learning about it, your chest too, like me, will swell with pride. Be ready to be amazed by Gujarat's affinity with renewable energy!

To start with, let's look at some data, some straight facts.

1. Gujarat contributes to nearly 12% of total renewable energy capacity of India.

2. Gujarat has been Power Surplus since 2009

3. Gujarat is the first state in India to achieve 100% electrification and providing 24*7 electricity

4. Gujarati Industry and Agriculture are biggest energy consumer. They consume 56% and 21% of electricity respectively

5. Domestic users consuming 17% of total energy generated.

Gujarat Energy Development Agency :- GEDA

Gujarat's affinity with renewable energy intensifies with the birth of GEDA.

GEDA (Gujarat Energy Development Agency), one of the premier organizations and a forerunner in India has been working in the field of renewable energy development and energy conservation. GEDA is shouldering the responsibility of a state nodal agency (SNA) for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources (MoNRE) and the state designated agency (SDA) for Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). 

GEDA has played a pioneering role in the development of a long-term renewable policy and implementing of sustainable energy programmes across the state. GEDA’s challenge has been to make the renewable energy and energy efficient technologies economically and commercially viable. GEDA was catalytic in the formation of the Commission of Additional Sources of Energy (CASE) in 1981, which later became the Department of Non-conventional Energy Sources (DNES) in 1982 and a full-fledged Ministry- MNES (Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources) in 90s, which is now the MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy).

The model was then replicated to establish similar state nodal agencies in other states through out the country.

The renewable energy promotion and popularization programmes in the state have crossed the over 3 decades of untiring efforts and pioneered several sustainable initiatives; many of which are the country’s first. GEDA has virtually been the crucible, the melting pot of ideas to ‘check out’ renewable sources of energy as alternatives to conventional fuels. The convenient green-n-clean actions in these direction and milestones achieved have set the pace for Renewable Energy Development in India.

Hence, I believe, Gujarat's soil is already fertile to bosom huge innovations in this field. It is just that the youths need to come forward and direct their intellects and energies to a sustainable future.

Whenever I talk about sustainability, or anyone who speaks about it, cannot help but sound like a concerned grandpa about carelessness of present generations and how they are destroying earth, blah, blah, blah. 

The idea of sustainability has a very narrow image in our minds. Whenever we discuss it, we mostly discuss just how we are going to save up our energy securities for the upcoming generations, how can we restraint our fossil fuel usage, reduce carbon emissions etc.

When I think of it, I see it as a vast unknown terrain, having huge room for unthinkable innovations and clever ideas. Tell me, when electricity was not yet invented, at most the people must have thought Ah, how can we effectively use all the woods to generate energy? Which tree's wood is the best? Which coal gives the best steam? Etc.

My point is to welcome something beyond our horizons, and think innovations which are unthinkable and ground-breaking.

Well, here our blog ends, but definately not our passion for a great future as we continue to look forward to it as eagerly as ever.

In upcoming blogs, I will also review our Cabinet's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy - its history, vision and so on.

Thanks,

Daksh Parekh.