California is now home to its first-ever solar-covered canal, an initiative started by researchers at UC Merced that aims to generate clean energy and conserve water.
The big picture: The project, known as Project Nexus, was inspired by a 2021 UC Merced study that found covering all 4,000 miles of California’s exposed canals with solar panels could generate about 13 gigawatts of electricity annually—enough to supply roughly 2 million homes.
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- The solar panels also help reduce evaporation, potentially conserving up to 65 billion gallons of water each year, enough for 2 million homes.
- In addition to energy and water savings, the shade created by the panels is expected to improve water quality by limiting weed and algae growth.
- State officials will monitor the completed canal to measure its impact on clean energy generation, evaporation reduction and water conservation. If successful, the state has plans to expand the project to bolster California’s water infrastructure amid increasingly hot and…