Takeaways:
- New research has shown that paired with solar panels, water canals might be a way to both generate solar power and save water.
- Shading the canals with the panels would lead to a reduction in water evaporation while generating electricity for nearby areas.
- “We could save upwards of 63 billion gallons of water annually,” she says. “That would be comparable to the amount needed to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland, or meet the residential water needs of over 2 million people.” Brandi McKuin, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Santa Cruz