The first solar-over-canal project in California, which started with research at UC Merced, has begun producing electricity. Plans are now in the works to expand the technology to other areas. A groundbreaking initiative led by faculty from seven top research universities aims to accelerate the deployment of solar arrays over California’s extensive canal network.

While not all canals are suitable for solar installations, a UC Merced study estimated that covering all 4,000 miles of California’s exposed canals with solar panels could generate enough electricity to power about 2 million homes each year, conserve enough water to supply up to 2 million homes annually and reduce land use by placing solar arrays on developed land.

Read the whole story from the UC Newsroom

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