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March 5, 2022 04:34 pm

What If We Put Solar Panels on California's 4,000 Miles of Canals?

Electrek writes:Nearly a year ago, Electrek reported that scientists published a feasibility study about the benefits of erecting solar panels over canals. That study is about to become a reality in a [one-mile] pilot project in California. The California Department of Water Resources, utility company Turlock Irrigation District, Marin County, California-based water and energy project developer Solar AquaGrid, and The University of California, Merced, are partnering on a pilot project named Project Nexus — a "nod to the water-energy nexus paradigm gaining attention among public utilities." California has about 4,000 miles of canal transporting water to 35 million California, explains Roger Bales, a distinguished engineering professor at the University of California, Merced (who is working on the project). "It's the largest such system in the world. "We estimate that about 1% to 2% of the water they carry is lost to evaporation under the hot California sun."In a 2021 study... we showed that covering all 4,000 miles of California's canals with solar panels would save more than 65 billion gallons of water annually by reducing evaporation. That's enough to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland or meet the residential water needs of more than 2 million people.... Shading California's canals with solar panels would generate substantial amounts of electricity. Our estimates show that it could provide some 13 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, which is about half of the new sources the state needs to add to meet its clean electricity goals: 60% from carbon-free sources by 2030 and 100% renewable by 2045. Installing solar panels over the canals makes both systems more efficient. The solar panels would reduce evaporation from the canals, especially during hot California summers. And because water heats up more slowly than land, the canal water flowing beneath the panels could cool them by 10 degrees Fahrenheit, boosting production of electricity by up to 3%. These canopies could also generate electricity locally in many parts of California, lowering both transmission losses and costs for consumers. Combining solar power with battery storage can help build microgrids in rural areas and underserved communities, making the power system more efficient and resilient. This would mitigate the risk of power losses due to extreme weather, human error, and wildfires.... Another benefit is curbing aquatic weeds that choke canals. In India, where developers have been building solar canals since 2014, shade from the panels limits growth of weeds that block drains and restrict water flow.... Building smart solar developments on canals and other disturbed land can make power and water infrastructure more resilient while saving water, reducing costs, and helping to fight climate change. "The project is anticipated to break ground in fall 2022," writes Turlock Irrigation District, "and be complete by the end of 2024."

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