{"id":10605,"date":"2022-03-16T16:47:50","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T16:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1382665"},"modified":"2022-03-16T16:47:50","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T16:47:50","slug":"california-launched-the-first-solar-canal-panel-heres-why-thats-a-big-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=10605","title":{"rendered":"California launched the first solar canal panel \u2014 here\u2019s why that\u2019s a big win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mounting evidence suggests the western United States is now in its worst megadrought<\/a> in at least 1,200 years. Groundwater supplies are being overpumped<\/a> in many places, and the dryness, wildfires and shrinking water supplies are making climate change<\/a> personal for millions of people.<\/p>\n

As an engineer<\/a>, I have been working with colleagues on a way to both protect water supplies and boost renewable energy to protect the climate.<\/p>\n

We call it the solar-canal solution, and it\u2019s about to be tested in California.<\/p>\n

About 4,000 miles of canals<\/a> transport water to some 35 million Californians and 5.7 million acres of farmland across the state. As we explained in a 2021 study<\/a>, covering these canals with solar panels would reduce evaporation of precious water \u2013 one of California\u2019s most critical resources \u2013 and help meet the state\u2019s renewable energy goals, while also saving money.<\/p>\n

The first prototypes in the U.S.<\/a> for both wide-span and narrow-span canals are now in development in California\u2019s Central Valley. Researchers at the University of California, Merced, are involved in the project, and we will be trying to determine how this can become a large-scale solution.<\/p>\n

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Great to see this @CA_DWR<\/a> @SolarAquaGrid<\/a> @TurlockID<\/a> solar-over-canal project moving from idea to proof-of-concept construction \u2013 a baby step potentially helping CA and the planet with both water and clean-power gains. More shortly at https:\/\/t.co\/wXbES8PH96<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/48a8hZT41a<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/fYdlfxtxJ5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Andrew Revkin \ud83c\udf0e \u270d\ud83c\udffc \ud83e\ude95 \u262e\ufe0f (@Revkin) February 8, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Conserving water and land<\/h2>\n

California is prone to drought<\/a>, and water is a constant concern. Now, the changing climate is bringing hotter, drier weather.<\/p>\n

Severe droughts over the past 10 to 30 years dried up wells<\/a>, caused officials to implement water restrictions<\/a> and fueled massive wildfires<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the same time, California has ambitious conservation goals. The state has a mandate to reduce groundwater pumping<\/a> while maintaining reliable supplies to farms, cities, wildlife and ecosystems<\/a>. As part of a broad climate change initiative, in October 2020 Gov. Gavin Newsom directed the California Natural Resources Agency to spearhead efforts to conserve 30% of land and coastal waters by 2030<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most of California\u2019s rain and snow falls north of Sacramento during the winter, while 80% of its water use occurs in Southern California<\/a>, mostly in summer. That\u2019s why canals snake across the state \u2013 it\u2019s the largest such system in the world. We estimate that about 1%-2% of the water they carry is lost to evaporation under the hot California sun.<\/p>\n

In a 2021 study, we showed that covering all 4,000 miles of California\u2019s canals with solar panels would save more than 65 billion gallons of water annually<\/a> by reducing evaporation. That\u2019s enough to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland or meet the residential water needs of more than 2 million people. By concentrating solar installations on land that is already being used, instead of building them on undeveloped land, this approach would help California meet its sustainable management goals for both water<\/a> and land<\/a> resources.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are definitely still in a drought. A completely dry January shows how quickly surpluses can disappear.” \u2013 Karla Nemeth, DWR Director. Learn how dry January conditions returned snowpack to near average levels\u27a1\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/deihwIuqpE<\/a>
#california<\/a> #cawater<\/a> #SnowSurvey2022<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/QYrWLSaBJq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CA \u2013 DWR (@CA_DWR) February 1, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Climate-friendly power<\/h2>\n

Shading California\u2019s canals with solar panels would generate substantial amounts of electricity. Our estimates show that it could provide some 13 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, which is about half of the new sources the state needs to add to meet its clean electricity goals<\/a>: 60% from carbon-free sources by 2030 and 100% renewable by 2045.<\/p>\n

Installing solar panels over the canals makes both systems more efficient. The solar panels would reduce evaporation from the canals, especially during hot California summers. And because water heats up more slowly than land, the canal water flowing beneath the panels could cool them by 10 F, boosting production of electricity by up to 3%<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These canopies could also generate electricity locally<\/a> in many parts of California, lowering both transmission losses<\/a> and costs for consumers. Combining solar power with battery storage can help build microgrids in rural areas and underserved communities, making the power system more efficient and resilient. This would mitigate the risk of power losses due to extreme weather, human error and wildfires.<\/p>\n

We estimate that the cost to span canals with solar panels will be higher than building ground-mounted systems. But when we added in some of the co-benefits, such as avoided land costs, water savings, aquatic weed mitigation and enhanced PV efficiency, we found that solar canals were a better investment and provided electricity that cost less over the life of the solar installations. And this is before factoring in the human health benefits of improved air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n

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