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What California is learning from solar panels built over irrigation canals

372 points · 744 comments · Jtsummers

  1. nbf_1995 · · focus · HN ↗
    It seems like it would be more effective to simply put all the solar panels in a field, and construct a cheap shade over the entire canal no? The supports in the picture are massive and don't look cheap. Also I would imagine the solar array uses more copper than a similar capacity array just built in a field. You can't daisy chain multiple miles of solar panels together, so you need an extra power line to run alongside the whole thing.

    Put the solar panels in a field: The solar array uses less copper. The shade supports don't have to hold up solar panels: Shade supports cost less.

    The best reasoning they give is that California has insane permitting requirements, and it takes 1/6 the time to build on developed land compared to undeveloped land.

    1. schnevets · · focus · HN ↗
      Anecdotally speaking, I have heard of a massive California solar farm in an undeveloped area that has serious vandalism problems. Junkies will find ways through the fencing at night, strip copper and other materials from panels, and cause thousands in damages and lost energy just to extract enough scrap for a fix.

      Nothing short of a face-to-face security response will deter these criminals, so there it is a challenging cost-benefit balance. At least panels in parking lots and other developed spaces have the benefit of witnesses. I'm sure a 20 foot climb up a steel beam over running water is a decent deterrent as well.

      1. justinator · · focus · HN ↗
        >Nothing short of a face-to-face security response will deter these criminals

        Is this one of those, "US only First World country that has this sort of problem" problems?

        I can only imagine why?

        1. daedrdev · · focus · HN ↗
          It’s only US states that don’t arrest people for stealing that have this issue
          1. tomjakubowski · · focus · HN ↗
            Not true that it's limited to certain states. It's a nationwide problem, according to AT&T.

            <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;about.att.com&#x2F;pages&#x2F;copper-theft-prevention" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;about.att.com&#x2F;pages&#x2F;copper-theft-prevention

            Here&#x27;s an unsolved case from this August in Oklahoma. Oklahoma ranks top 10 in the country for copper theft.

            <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;about.att.com&#x2F;ecms&#x2F;dam&#x2F;pages&#x2F;copper-theft-prevention&#x2F;pdfs&#x2F;oklahoma-copper-theft-blog.pdf" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;about.att.com&#x2F;ecms&#x2F;dam&#x2F;pages&#x2F;copper-theft-prevention...

            1. pchew · · focus · HN ↗
              Extra data point - Oklahoma is top five in the country for incarceration rates.
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