Solar Canals
Typical solar developments involve ground-mounted solar panels, where there can be significant use of land resources. In some cases, this land would have otherwise been used for agriculture, building, conservation of wildlife habitats etc.
However, across the globe several countries are experimenting with the use of existing canal and irrigation channel networks as mounting sites for solar farms. The orientation of the existing network may present challenges regarding track of the sun, but there are also significant advantages, both for panels and watercourse.
Advantages
- Panels remain cooler over water which increases the energy capacity.
- Reduced water evaporation.
- Conservation of land resources and avoids the cost of the land by making use of the existing canal network.
- Furthermore, shading the canals can reduce weeds and algae that need to be removed to prevent blockages. Also reduced maintenance costs due to reduction in algae/weed growth, resulting in improved water quality and reduced use of herbicides.
Here are a few case studies:-
Solar Canals in California
In March of 2021, a study on the solar-canal solution ‘Energy and water co-benefits from covering canals with solar panels’ was published by the University of California. The study concluded that installing solar PV above all of California’s canals (4,000 miles) would save more than 65 billion gallons of water per year due to reduced evaporation caused by shading.
The estimated energy capacity of such a concept would be 13 gigawatts (GW), equal to approximately one-sixth of California’s current installed capacity, and the potential land resources saved is significant.
Read more here https://theconversation.com/first-solar-canal-project-is-a-win-for-water-energy-air- and-climate-in-california-177433
Solar Canals in Gujarat
The Canal Solar Power Project is a project launched in Gujarat, India, to use the 532 km network of Narmada canals across the state for setting up solar panels to generate electricity. It was the first ever such project in India. The pilot project will generate 1 MW of clean energy and also prevent evaporation of 9,000,000 litres of water annually from the canal. The project virtually eliminates the requirement to acquire vast tracts of land and limits evaporation, providing energy and water security.
How we can help you realise the benefits of Solar Canals
Solar and Energy Solutions (UK) have the technology and extensive experience commissioning solar arrays in sometimes remote locations. We can connect the energy supply to local infrastructure through micro grids, arrange local energy storage with large capacity battery storage. Plus, we can design and build the required infrastructure for mounting the panels over water.
Read more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Solar_Power_Project
