Indian workers give finishing touches to installed solar panels covering the Narmada canal at Chandrasan village, outside Ahmadabad, India, April 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
In 2015, California faced a severe drought, prompting Governor Jerry Brown to call for a 25% reduction in home water use. Amidst growing concerns about climate change, Brown also set an ambitious target for the state to derive half of its energy from renewable sources. Jordan Harris and Robin Raj saw an opportunity to tackle both water loss and climate pollution by installing solar panels over irrigation canals. However, their innovative idea initially faced resistance and lack of commitment.
Fast forward eight years, and Harris and Raj's company, Solar AquaGrid, along with partners, are about to break ground on the first solar-covered canal project in the United States. The concept is straightforward: install solar panels over canals in sunny, water-scarce regions to reduce evaporation and generate electricity. A study by the University of California, Merced, estimated that California's 4,000 miles of canals could save 63 billion gallons of water with such installations.
To test the potential benefits scientifically, the University of California, Merced, initiated Project Nexus in California's Central Valley. This project, funded by the state with $20 million in public funds, will cover about 1.6 miles of canals with solar panels, with the aim of studying the impact on water conservation and electricity generation.
The idea of solar panels on canals is not entirely new, as India pioneered it in one of the largest irrigation projects globally, the Sardar Sarovar dam and canal project. While this technology has faced challenges in India due to high capital costs and clunky design, Harris and Raj took lessons from India's experience and are using better materials and elevated positioning for their project.
The growing interest in solar-covered canals extends beyond California. The Gila River Indian Community and the Salt River Project in Arizona are also exploring the implementation of this technology to save water and generate renewable energy. Representative Jared Huffman, a strong advocate for this approach, secured funding for a pilot project for the Bureau of Reclamation.
Climate advocacy groups have also thrown their support behind solar-covered canals, urging the Interior Secretary and the Bureau Commissioner to accelerate widespread deployment. Covering all 8,000 miles of Bureau-owned canals and aqueducts could potentially generate over 25 gigawatts of renewable energy and significantly reduce water evaporation.
While challenges and resistance persist, the growing commitment to combating climate change and water scarcity is creating momentum for solar-covered canals. Although the total amount of energy that can be generated by such projects has not been scientifically estimated, the potential benefits are promising enough to explore and implement this innovative solution further.
Read the full story on: APNEWS.COM
