Project to Put Solar Panels on California's Canals
A company in California has announced plans to put solar panels over canals that are used to bring water to farms and people in the state.
Water and power company Turlock Irrigation District (TID) plans to begin work on "Project Nexus" in autumn 2022. TID said the project hopes to achieve multiple goals.
Solar panels usually need a lot of space, but placing them over canals will only use space that already isn't being used for anything else, without the need to destroy any more natural land.
The shade provided by the panels will also reduce evaporation from the canals, as well as reduce plant growth, which would improve water quality.
The water could also help keep the panels cool — which helps them work more efficiently.
The panels will be placed over about 2.6 kilometers of TID's canals, which are between 6 meters and 30 meters wide. The work is expected to be finished by the end of 2023.
A 2021 study by the University of California, Merced, showed that almost 240 billion liters of water would be saved annually if solar panels were placed over all of California's approximately 6,400 kilometers of canals. This would be enough water to meet the needs of over 2 million people.
The same study found that the panels would produce 13 gigawatts of power, which is about a sixth of what California can currently produce.
Project Nexus could also help California achieve its goal of having at least 60% of its electricity come from renewable sources by 2030.
California has frequent droughts, and according to America's National Integrated Drought Information System, 2022 is already California's driest year in 128 years. Scientists also believe the western United States is now experiencing its worst drought in 1,200 years.
