Model Solar Village

• 02 Sep 2024

Why in News? 

Every village in Ayodhya with a population of 5,000 will be developed as a model solar village, with a goal of installing 50,000 solar homes.

Key Points

• The PM Solar Home scheme aims to turn Ayodhya into a solar city by equipping 50,000 homes with solar panels.
  • The Model Solar Village scheme will select one village of 5,000 residents from a list of 42 to promote widespread installation of solar panels.
•  Each family for 1 kilowatt solar panel will incur a cost of  Rs.65,000, with Rs.30,000 subsidized by the central government and Rs.15,000 by the state government.
  • Farmers installing solar pumps will receive extra grants under the KUSUM scheme.
• The central government has allocated Rs.1 crore for each Model Solar Village, which will be transferred to the gram panchayat to fund its development.

What is PM-KUSUM?

• About:
  • The PM-KUSUM is a flagship scheme initiated by the Indian government in 2019 with the primary objective of transforming the agricultural sector by promoting the adoption of solar energy solutions.
  • It operates on a demand-driven approach. Capacities are allocated based on the demands received from various states and union territories (UTs).
  • Through various components and financial support, PM-KUSUM envisions achieving a significant solar power capacity addition of 30.8 GW by March 31, 2026.
• Objectives of PM-KUSUM:
  • Reduce the Farm Sector's Reliance on Diesel: The scheme aims to reduce the dependence on diesel for irrigation by encouraging the use of solar-powered pumps and other renewable energy sources.
    • It also seeks to increase farmers' income by reducing irrigation costs through the use of solar pumps and enabling them to sell surplus solar power to the grid.
  • Water and Energy Security for Farmers: By providing access to solar pumps and promoting solar-based community irrigation projects, the scheme aims to enhance water and energy security for farmers.
  • Curbing Environmental Pollution: Through the adoption of clean and renewable solar energy, the scheme aims to mitigate environmental pollution caused by conventional energy sources.
• Components:
  • Component-A: Setting up of 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground/Stilt Mounted Solar Power Plants on barren/fallow/pasture/marshy/ cultivable land of farmers.
  • Component-B: Installation of 20 Lakh Stand-alone Solar Pumps in off-grid areas.
  • Component-C: Solarisation of 15 Lakh Grid Connected Agriculture Pumps through Individual Pump Solarisation and Feeder Level Solarisation.