Federal Funding Boosts Solar Projects on Canals, Aiming to Enhance Efficiency and Reduce Water Evaporation in California.

Three projects receiving federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), set aside $25 million for the design, study, and implementation of photovoltaics co-located with water reclamation facilities. The projects will receive a combined $19.5 million. Solar panels on canals are expected to provide shade for the water resources, reduce losses from evaporation, and cool the panels, improving their efficiency and reducing degradation of the equipment. The largest project, located in California, will receive $15 million and the University of California-Merced will study the project through a public-private partnership to assess the viability, costs, and benefits of floating solar over canals. A 2021 study found that covering California’s public water delivery system infrastructure with solar panels can generate 13 GW of energy annually, equivalent to about one sixth of the state’s installed capacity and about half the projected new capacity needed to meet the state’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030.