The Nexus project consists of solar energy-driven awnings on different sections of the irrigation channels of the Turlock Irrigation District
Image: Tid
The Nexus project, a 1.6 MW solar installation on the canals of the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) in California, is now complete and operational. The pilot funded by the State is presented by the state as a model for agricultural areas affected by Waterstress.
Two photovoltaic systems were installed, one spans a 30 meter wide section and another that covers a 6-meter wide channel in Stanislaus County. Both sites became fully operational in August 2025.
The project serves as a proof of concept to study the design, implementation and co-benefits of Kanalop solar energy. It uses the infrastructure of TID and Nett access and is the first American effort of its kind to incorporate cooperation between public, private and academic sectors.
A storage system for battery energy is installed on the narrowest channel location, using 75 kW of iron stream batteries from the American manufacturer ESS.
Each ESS container offers 400 kWh peak energy and has a lifespan of more than 20,000 cycles. The unit weighs 41.9 tons, measures 12 meters by 2.4 meters and is 2.9 meters long. The electrolyte system is completely recyclable and relies on recycled iron components and salt water.
The University of California, Merced, has used research equipment at both locations to collect basic data. Although the evaporation savings of Project Nexus are not yet known, a UC research estimated that covering 4,000 km channels from California can save 63 billion liters of water annually – enough to irrigate 50,000 hectares of agricultural land or deliver more than 2 million inhabitants. TID also studies potential improvements in water quality through reduced vegetative growth.
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