Drought has plagued California for a long time, and residents of the West Coast state feel the effects of climate change on a daily basis. A pilot project called “Project Nexus” now wants to tackle both: The state-funded project wants to cover its water channels with a roof made of solar panels and thus kill two birds with one stone.
2.6 kilometers of solar panels
Because, on the one hand, the evaporation of the valuable product water must be restricted, on the other hand, the unused space must be used in this way to generate “green” energy. In the pilot phase, three sections of the canals in the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) will be covered with solar panels, with a total of around 2.6 kilometers covered.
What CBS News Construction is reportedly scheduled to begin this fall, with completion slated for 2023. According to TID, the project is intended to be a “proof of concept” to find out if it all makes sense not only in theory but also in practice and if brings significant benefits. According to the associated study, covering the nearly 6,500 kilometers of surface waterways would save 286 billion liters of water per year while saving 13 gigawatts. solar energy gain, which would be about one-sixth of the state’s current solar capacity.
The state of California is allowing the pilot project to cost $20 million, and it also fits with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plans that by 2030 at least 60 percent of energy should come from renewable sources.
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