How solar panels might help fix California’s drought
[A] new project aims to shield the flows from the heat and sun and help the state meet its renewable energy goals by covering canals with solar panels. California ships water across more than 700 miles. Most of the state’s water comes from the northern half, but most of it is used in the southern half. So those UC Merced researchers have been studying the idea of putting solar panels atop those canals. “If we put solar panels over all 4,000 miles of California’s open canals, we estimated we could save 65 billion gallons of water annually,” said Brandi McKuin, lead author of a report on the research. “That’s enough for the residential water needs of 2 million people, enough to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland.”