![]() Solar canopies over canals avoid the development of large tracts of land that would be required for ground-mounted systems. “Another benefit is that it would avoid land use. ![]() That’s about half the projected new capacity needed by 2030 to meet the state’s decarbonization goals. In terms of power generation, the study found the solar canopies could generate about 13 gigawatts of renewable power annually, the equivalent to about one-sixth of California’s installed capacity. Researchers from the University of California, Merced determined that covering the 4,000 miles of California’s open canals with solar panels could save upward of 63 billion gallons of water each year, the residential water needs of about 2 million people, or enough to irrigate about 50,000 acres of farmland. ![]() While the idea is novel in the U.S., researchers looked at a large-scale, solar-canal system in Gujarat, India, and considered what the concept could do for California. The pilot project materialized following results published in a 2021 study outlining the potential benefits of the concept. The project in California’s San Joaquin Valley is a partnership between utility company Turlock Irrigation District (TID), California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR), solar energy company Solar AquaGrid and the University of California, Merced. The $20 million experiment, dubbed Project Nexus, is funded by the state of California and will assess whether solar panel canopies erected over exposed irrigation canal systems can significantly reduce water evaporation while simultaneously generating renewable power. A first-in-the-nation project to determine whether covering sections of canals with solar panels can help California reach its renewable energy goals is gearing up to break ground early next year.
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