It’s also a win win design. Shade from the panels reduces evaporation in the canals and the water helps cool the panels which improves their efficiency.
Comment on Arizona's solar-over-canal project will tackle its major drought issue
PeleSpirit@lemmy.world 7 months ago
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Hugin@lemmy.world 7 months ago
LostAndSmelly@lemmy.world 7 months ago
It would be cheaper and easier to maintain separate instaaleions of a lightweight cover for the aquaduct and solar panel installed on solid ground. You could use the same money to add square miles of panels.
NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 7 months ago
It’s a really good idea
PeleSpirit@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Cannibal_MoshpitV3@lemmy.world 7 months ago
The influx of folks moving in from more expensive big city locations plus the general shift of young people rejecting conservative views even as they age is turning the state away from its traditionally republican voting tendencies as seen in recent elections.
PeleSpirit@lemmy.world 7 months ago
abhibeckert@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Inflation adjusted… those canals cost $50 billion to construct and the project took decades. It would cost far more now, since getting access to the land rights would be incredibly expensive now, and they’re already not providing enough water so if more canals were to be built, they needed to start construction 20 years ago.
Upgrading the canals with shade and other improvements can potentially double the amount of water they provide, that’s how much is lost compared to a regular closed in underground pipe.
Solar panels won’t get it to the same efficiency as an underground pipe but it’ll be a major improvement, and unlike regular shade structures (which are very expensive to build), solar shade costs about the same upfront but provides ongoing revenue. It’s an absolute no brainer to do this.
Lemmygizer@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Or…hear me out… People don’t live in the damn desert and expect to have unlimited access to water.
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 7 months ago
I said that was California that painted their lawns. I lived in Arizona for a couple years, and I don’t even remember seeing lawns. But I lived in Tucson. Almost everyone had a xeriscaped yard.