Model solar village contest sparks rise in rooftop installations

Ludhiana: After the declaration of Ghudani Kalan as the district's top performer in the model solar village competition, adoption of solar energy across participating villages has gone up significantly. Residents and officials said the competitive environment, combined with sustained awareness efforts, had led to a marked rise in rooftop solar installations, a trend that continued even after the contest formally ended.A total of 11 villages took part in the district-level initiative, with the village generating the highest amount of solar power being named the winner. Ghudani Kalan secured the first position by producing around 216 kilowatt (kW) of solar power, which was successfully fed into the electricity grid. Authorities, however, noted that the broader impact of the initiative lies in its ability to encourage more households and commercial establishments to adopt rooftop solar panels.
The competition formed a part of the government's wider push to promote renewable energy in rural areas and support self-reliant electricity generation. It aligns with the national PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to help households reduce electricity bills through rooftop solar panels, supported by financial assistance and subsidy provisions.Gurinder Singh, district manager of Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), said the competition generated strong awareness about economic and environmental advantages of solar power. During the competition period alone, 34 domestic and commercial units installed rooftop solar systems. He added that once villagers witnessed actual reductions in electricity bills and understood subsidy benefits under the scheme, interest in adopting solar energy grew steadily.Gurinder Singh, sarpanch of Ghudani Kalan, said the village followed a focused strategy by prioritising installations in high-consumption locations. He added that residents became more willing to adopt solar energy once they realised that the systems could help reduce power costs and even allow surplus electricity to be supplied back into the grid.The momentum has continued beyond the end of the competition in Sept last year. Villagers said awareness created during the drive did not fade and that more households and establishments have opted for rooftop solar systems since then. Officials believe the model demonstrated how community-led engagement can encourage renewable energy adoption at the grassroots level. They said the sustained interest reflects increased awareness, acceptance and willingness among residents to transition towards solar energy.