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floppysausage16 t1_jajgtom wrote

I love this idea, but the two questions I have are:

  1. Will the panels be mounted onto a hard structure like they do for parking or will it be connected via cables to create a net? A structure is way more expensive but a net might not be strong enough to support all the water on top in a serious rain/dust storm.

  2. Is the amount of water potentially being saved calculated with the assumption that literally ALL the canals start to finish will be covered or is does it take into account gaps between properties and un inhabited areas?

Other than that not only is the environmental impact a good cause but there are gonna be loads of job openings for maintenance on those panels.

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neofreakx2 t1_jakjst2 wrote

The canals are owned and operated by utilities. Even if they pass through a farm or whatever, they're still owned and operated by utilities. It's kinda like a sidewalk/easement: you have to maintain it, but if the city wants to come in and tear it up to rebuild, there's not much you can do to say no. And more importantly, they're not split up (i.e. one company owns a three-mile section, then another company owns a few miles, etc.); they're owned by one company start to finish between the reservoirs they connect.

It's great because it reduces water evaporation and algae growth, and the water that evaporates anyway cools the panels to make them more efficient. Plus nobody gets mad about the eyesore because it's literally an improvement of otherwise unusable space.

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