By Brittany Peterson and Sibi Arasu | Associated Press
In 2015, the state of California was facing a severe drought, and Governor Jerry Brown implemented a 25% reduction in home water use. Farmers also volunteered to reduce water consumption. At the same time, Brown set a goal for the state to obtain half of its energy from renewable sources to combat climate change.
However, when Jordan Harris and Robin Raj proposed the concept of installing solar panels over irrigation canals to address both water loss and climate pollution, they faced challenges in getting support. Fast forward to today, their company Solar AquaGrid, along with partners, is preparing to embark on the first solar-covered canal project in the United States.
The idea is simple: by installing solar panels over canals in sunny, water-scarce regions, the panels can reduce evaporation and generate electricity. A study by the University of California, Merced suggests that covering California’s 4,000 miles of canals with solar panels could save 63 billion gallons of water and generate a significant amount of electricity.
To test the potential benefits, a project called Project Nexus is being initiated in California’s Central Valley. This project is a collaboration between private, public, and academic sectors, with $20 million in public funds committed. The study will examine various impacts, such as evaporation and water quality.
Although solar-covered canals have been implemented in India, where land for energy development is scarce, the technology has not been widely adopted due to high capital costs and maintenance issues. However, with lessons learned from India, Harris and his team have developed a better solution for the Project Nexus.
Other projects, such as solar-covered canals on the Gila River Indian Community and the study conducted by the Salt River Project and Arizona State University, indicate that this technology is gaining momentum.
Representative Jared Huffman has been advocating for solar-covered canals for years and secured funding for a pilot project. Climate advocacy groups have also urged the government to accelerate the widespread deployment of solar panels on canals and aqueducts.
While covering every canal would be ideal, starting with the California Aqueduct and the Delta Mendota canal seems like a compelling case to begin implementing this innovative solution.
Arasu reported from Bengaluru, India.