A $20 million experiment called Project Nexus, funded by the state of California, is designed to investigate whether solar panels built on open irrigation channel systems can produce renewable energy and significantly reduce water evaporation.
Covering 4,000 miles of California's open canals with solar panels could save up to 63 billion gallons of water a year, researchers at the University of California, Merced have found.
The first statewide project to determine whether covering a stretch of canal with solar panels can help California meet its renewable energy goals will begin early next year.
A $20 million experiment called Project Nexus, funded by the state of California, is investigating whether solar panels built on open irrigation canal systems can produce renewable energy and significantly reduce water evaporation. The project in California's San Joaquin Valley is a collaboration between the Turlock Irrigation District (TID), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the solar company Solar AquaGrid, and the University of California, Merced.
The pilot project is based on the results of a 2021 study detailing the benefits of the concept. While the idea is new to the United States, researchers studied an extensive solar canal system in Gujarat, India, and wondered what the concept could do for California.
Covering 4,000 miles of open canals in California with solar panels could provide up to 63 billion gallons of water a year to irrigate 2 million people, or about 50,000 acres, researchers at the University of California, Merced have found. For irrigation of agricultural land. In terms of power generation, the study found that solar panels could produce 13 gigawatts of renewable energy per year — about one-sixth of California's installed capacity. This is about half of the new capacity expected to meet the country's 2030 decarbonisation goals.
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"Another benefit is the elimination of land use. Solar panels prevent the development of large tracts of land needed for land systems. If we use canal infrastructure, this is already poor land," says study leader and project scientist Brandi McQueen of the University of California , Merced. in an interview.
"There is an environmental benefit, and perhaps it can avoid some of the protracted land use disputes that other large solar projects have had. b. Tribal sovereignty," McQueen added.
Another advantage is the microclimate of the channels, which can cool the solar panels and increase their efficiency. According to McQueen's field research, solar tunnels in India cooled the panels by up to 10 degrees and were on average 3% more efficient than land-based systems of the same configuration.
Shade panels can block light from aquatic weeds and reduce algae growth, which can result in significant maintenance savings for sewer system operators.
For the Nexus project, less than 2 miles of irrigation canals operated by Tullock Irrigation District in California's San Joaquin Valley will be covered with solar panels.
The Ceres site will include about a mile of direct plating in relatively narrow 20- to 25-foot-wide channels and will test various installation technologies and solar panel designs.
"This site will have 8,000 linear feet of solar panels, so AB has an opportunity to test different hypotheses," Josh Weimer, director of external affairs for the Turlock Irrigation District, said in an interview.
“Then test the panels a little closer to the duct, some a little higher, and see if there's a difference in efficiency. We also evaluate the use of two types of solar panels, single and double sided. With two facades, you have the ability to generate electricity from the bottom of the solar panel, and if the water is reflected off the bottom of the panel, that can be a big advantage, Weimer added.
A 500-foot-by-110-foot-wide section of the pipe at the second site in Hickman, east of Modesto, will also be covered by cable suspension.
According to Weimer, the biggest obstacle is finding a viable and inexpensive way to develop collection methods. There are also concerns about preventing tankers from entering pipelines.
If successful and expanded, the proposal could help California meet its climate goals and provide water and energy solutions for a state long plagued by severe drought. Weimer said the electric company's use of land it already owns for solar infrastructure can significantly lower costs.
"We need renewable energy. We need more and more renewable energy to meet our 2030 and 2045 targets, and this could be an expansion option. We have 250 miles of canals. That's why we're interested in studying it very little," Weimer said.
Groundbreaking is planned for early 2023, and the project is scheduled to be completed by 2024.
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