Getting power & reducing water losses by using solar panels over canals

[Bronzeado]

Hi folks,

What about the idea of getting power and simultaneously reducing evaporation by using solar panels over very long water canals?
Advantages and disadvantages.

Best Regards,

Herivelto S. Bronzeado
Brasília, Brazil

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=46319837&trk=tab_pro

 

[Bronzeado]

Some more specific information:

The water supply Project I work for stands out for running more than 470 km of canals. Moving water over such significant distance requires a significant amount of energy, particularly because the water must be carried over large elevation changes before distribution. This is done by running 9 pumping stations fed by an electrical system of 270 km of 230 kV transmission lines. At the first stage will be installed about 200 MW of motor load.

The Project is running in the Northeast of Brazil, a very sunny and dry region. The idea is to analyze the feasibility of installing solar photovoltaic panels over the Project water canals focusing on the benefits of using renewable energy sources to help the energy need to pump water and, also, to reduce the evaporation losses.

I would like to thank all those could give us any insights on this matter.



Best Regards,

Herivelto S. Bronzeado
Brasília, Brazil

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=46319837&trk=tab_pro

 

[itsmoked]

I think this would be way more viable as compared to under transmission lines, with the very real advantage of reduced evap as you've mentioned.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Skogsgurra]

Just wanted to remind you that considerable amounts of water was transported through hills and across valleys without any pumps already a couple of thousand years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_du_Gard

The Pont du Gard is my absolute favourite and I always go there when in that part of France. Engineering by non-engineers. They could hardly do any math with their X-es and V-s and still managed to keep lots of water flowing 30 miles with a total level difference of around 60 feet.


Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

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Half full - Half empty? I don't mind. It's what in it that counts.

 

[MikeHalloran]

They appear to be just a little ahead of you in India:

https://www.google.com/search?q=solar+power+canal&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

... Of course, there are still a lot of 'forward looking statements' in there.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[racookpe1978]

You will find the expense of maintaining and installing and removing and moving the solar panels is very, very much higher over the water of the canal.

but, after a few years of solar PV degradation and rust and dirt and corrosion and breakage ... You will have a long expensive cover of very expensive glass over the canals that may, or may not, reduce evaporation loss.

if you do, the water loss needs to pay for itself. Electric production will be less than 50% in 4 years, less than 20% maximum in 8 years.

Set the glass panels so they form a near-vapor-proof barrier to evaporation over the ENTIRE width of the canal for many miles (kilometers) but so the condensed water vapor trapped underneath the glass will flow back to the canal.

is the canal north-south, or east-west routed?