Gujarat's Modhera village basks in the sun, awaits solar power benefits

Residents of India's first solar-powered village hope for reduced bills, iconic Sun Temple gets light show boost

On a moonlit night, Modhera village in Mehsana district of Gujarat shone like a lodestar — as if to highlight its glittering feat achieved days earlier.
 

Home to the iconic Sun Temple, Modhera was declared India’s first solar-powered village by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the poll-bound state on Saturday.
 

Armed with an array of solar panels spread across 30 acres in the nearby Sujaanpura village, Modhera is now the recipient of its 6 Mw installed capacity. Not surprisingly, the village with a population of 8,500 people uses only 1 Mw or roughly 5,000-5,500 units. The rest of the capacity