UC Merced's Innovative Solar-Over-Canal Project Begins Generating Power
The inaugural solar-over-canal initiative at UC Merced has begun generating power. The project was spearheaded by professors from the leading seven research institutions in the state. Efforts are underway to extend this technology across California's vast canal system. A 2021 study from UC Merced indicates that California’s 4,000-mile network of solar panel installations has the potential to save significant amounts of water, decrease air pollutants, and produce clean electricity through the utilization of current lands and structures. The initial project, known as Project Nexus, is under construction atop the Turlock Irrigation District canals with the aim of validating this hypothesis. As of now, the panels have begun producing electricity, as stated by TID General Manager Brad Koehn. The California Solar Canal Initiative (CSCI) research project seeks to speed up solar energy adoption statewide by providing information on ideal sites to v...