California’s water infrastructure adds a new dimension: solar power generation. The Turlock Irrigation District (TID) announced the commissioning of Project Nexus, a 1.6 megawatt photovoltaic installation mounted directly on irrigation canals.
This initiative represents a two-pronged approach by taking advantage of the canal surface to produce clean electricity. clean electricity while reducing water evaporation.
[post_relacionado]The project is the result of a collaboration between TID, the California Department of Water Resources, the University of California, Merced, and Solar AquaGrid. Work began in February and was completed in late August, with installation over a 115-foot-wide span that is now fully energized. This is in addition to a narrower section completed in March.
Nexus Project: Water saving and energy efficiency
In addition to generating electricity, the system contributes to the protection of water resources. By blocking direct solar radiation, the solar panels help mitigate evaporation in regions exposed to frequent droughts. The combination of water flowing under the modules also improves the thermal efficiency of the panels, increasing their performance.
TID said that all the energy generated is integrated into its distribution network, supplying pumps and canal gates. In the long term, they expect to scale up this technology to a larger scale within the state’s canal system.
The California experience is in line with other successful trials in Arizona and India, where canal PV has proven to reduce costs, conserve water and optimize land. In this context, the Nexus Project Project is positioned as a viable option for water-stressed agricultural areas.
Experts estimate that if solar panels were installed on the country’s 13,000 kilometers of public canals, up to 25 gigawatts of clean energy could be generated while avoiding the loss of billions of liters of water each year.
The collaborating universities will also continue to monitor the technical performance and environmental benefits of the pilot. This will allow fine-tuning the design for future expansions in critical infrastructure.
The canal is no longer just a conduit for water: it is now also a hub for the state’s energy transition.
Source and photo: Turlock Irrigation District (TID)