VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

“Jnana Sangama”, Belgavi-590018

SEMINAR REPORT ON
“CANAL TOP SOLAR POWER PLANT”
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
(2019-2020)

Submitted by

Mr. Pratheek S
(USN: 1VJ15CV040)

Under the Guidance of

Prof. Dhanashree N Nerlikar
Asst. Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

VIJAYA VITTALA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
BENGALURU-560077
2019-2020
VIJAYA VITTALA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
#35/1, DoddaGubbi Post, Hennur-Bagalur Road, Bangalore-560077

Department of Civil Engineering

CERTIFICATE
Certified that the Seminar work entitled “Canal Top Solar Power Plant”, carried out by
Mr. Pratheek S, USN:1VJ15CV040, a bonafide student of Vijaya Vittala Institute of
Technology, in partial fulfillment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering in Civil
Engineering of the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi during the year
2019-20.It is certified that all corrections/ suggestions indicated for internal assessment have
been incorporated in the report deposited in the departmental library. The report has been
approved as it satisfies the academic requirements in respect of seminar work prescribed for
the said degree.

Prof. Dhanashree N Nerlikar Dr. Virendra Kumar K N Dr. S. Rajendra

Seminar guide Professor & HOD Principal
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I consider it as my privilege to express my gratitude and respect to all those who have supported
and guided for the completion of this seminar work.

I whole heartedly thank my guide Prof. Dhanashree N Nerlikar, department of civil

engineering for his valuable guidance and encouragement extended throughout the seminar
work.

I express my sincere gratitude to our HOD Dr.Virendra Kumara K.N, department of civil
engineering who has helped us in all aspects to excel in every possible way.

I would like to thank our beloved Principal Dr. S. Rajendra for his support and encouragement

I sincerely thank all the faculty members for providing encouragement throughout the work.

I would like to thank my Family and Friends for their support and encouragement

Pratheek S (1VJ15CV040)

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter no. Title Page no.

Acknowledgement i

Table of figures

1 Introduction 1

2 Literature review 3

3 Case study 5

3.1 Canal top solar power plant in gujarat 5

3.2 Methodology 7

3.3 Outcomes 11

3.3.1 Replication and cost benefit analysis 11

3.3.4 Advantages and Disadvantages 13

4 Conclusion 15

References 16
 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig No. Description Page No.

3.1 1MW Pilot Project 5
3.2 10MW Project in Vadodara 6
3.2.1 Land levelling and site clearing for approach 7
3.2.2 Excavation for Piling 8
3.2.3 Pile capping 8
3.2.4 Structure and Purlin Erection 8
3.2.5 Module Erection 9
3.3.1 Project Cost with increasing width for same MW 12
project

3.3.2 Ratio of Project Cost to increasing Canal Width 13

Canal top solar power plant 2020

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Recently, renewable energy systems have undergone rapid developments around the world,
and certain renewable energy industries, such as solar and wind, have attained annual
growth rates of 20% or more. Renewable energy is an important alternative source of
energy that promotes sustainable development in energy sector. With growing concerns
about the damages to the environment caused by burning fossil fuels and due to ever
incrementing oil demand, recently there have been numerous endeavors to ascertain an
energy source which can accommodate as an alternate energy for fossil fuel. Harnessing
solar energy holds great promise for the world's energy demands and it will be heavily
called upon as fossil fuels are depleted. [1]
India, a country with an ever-increasing population (over 1.2 billion as of 2015) and need
for energy is faced with the enormous challenge to produce energy with efficient utilization
of available resources. India is ranked fifth in the electricity generation in the world.
Presently, India has installed capacity of 276.783 GW out of which 69.6% is from thermal,
15.2% from hydro, 2.1% from nuclear and about 13.2% from renewable energy sources.
Thus, Indian power sector is basically based on fossil fuels, with about three-fifths of the
country’s power generated by reserves of coal. The thermal power stations emit a high
amount of toxic gases such as NOx, COx and SOx gases which is ingenious to health and
environment. In the last few decades Indian government has taken many steps to reduce the
use of fossil fuels-based energy and promote renewable energy generation.
The solar and wind energy are freely available and they are environment friendly. The wind
energy systems are not possible at all sites because of low wind speeds and it is more
unpredictable than solar energy. India is situated in the sunny belt India and is endowed with
vast solar energy potential. Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is the most common
renewable energy option for clean energy generation. A solar cell or PV cell converts solar
energy into electrical energy by the photo voltaic effect. Since the power generation from
solar is very expensive, it is not very popularly used. Many methods for PV installation are
carried out, such as roof top PV system, dam top PV system, floating PV system, canal top
PV system, etc.
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India's Unique Proposition:

Economic Value: The generation of solar electricity coincides with the normal peak demand
during daylight hours in most places, thus mitigating peak energy costs, brings total energy
bills down, and obviates the need to build as much additional generation and transmission
capacity as would be the case without PV.
Geographical Location: India being a tropical country receives adequate solar radiation for
300 days, amounting to 3,000 hours of sunshine equivalent to over 5,000 trillion kWh.
Almost all the regions receive 4-7 kWh of solar radiation per sq. mtrs with about 2,300–
3,200 sunshine hours/year, depending upon the location. Potential areas for setting up solar
power plant can be analyzed using solar irradiation map of India.

In this context, the state of Gujarat came up with an innovative and cost- effective solution
to utilize the existing irrigation canals to mount and produce solar energy. Land is a
precious commodity for India. Justifying the use of land to set up solar plants, which can be
used for habitation, cultivation, and manufacturing, is a tough proposition. If all the plants
are installed at one place, the land occupied shall be 1.5 times more than that of the state of
Delhi. Taking into account the country’s large irrigation canal network, the Government of
Gujarat put forth the concept of construction of solar PV plant on canal top. [4]

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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW

Rani Chacko et al (2016): “Canal Top Solar Energy Harvesting using

Reflector”

Solar energy is one of the most abundant sources of renewable energy for the future. This
solar energy can be extracted by PV system. Many methods for PV installation are carried
out, such as roof top PV system, dam top PV system; floating PV, canal top PV system
etc. In canal top system, PV panels are placed above the water canal which saves
installation area and reduces evaporation loss. The performance of any PV system depends
mainly on the light intensity, so by a concentrating PV system power output can be
increased. The usage of concentrated PV system can bring down the investment cost per
kWh. In this paper canal top PV system with reflectors in the inter array spacing are
studied. The expected advantage of such a system is that the evaporation loss can be further
reduced and additional cooling system may not be required. To get uniform availability of
light and to avoid shading on the panels, tilt angle of the panel, inter array spacing and
orientation of the reflectors are calculated optimally. [1]

Omkar D Gaikwad et al (2017): “Evaporation Control using Floating PV

System and Canal Roof Top Solar System”

With the concept of floating solar we are illustrating the availabilities of water bodies in
different regions. Since with this conception we do not have to use a huge area, the issue of
land for the solar plant can be efficiently solved. Additionally, keeping in mind the fact that
land acquisition in India is not a simple task, this remotely a conception keep itself away
from disputes. We all know, that during summers canals face the threat of drying up due to
which irrigation question arises. With floating solar, around 70% of the evaporation could
be interrupted which would in turn avail in the retaining sufficient amount of waters in the
canals and minor river bodies. Additionally, algae formation in the water bodies can be
reduced as the amount of sunlight entering into the water would decrement which in turn
reduce the

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photosynthesis process to engender less algae in water. This makes water less contaminated
and avails the aquatic life in sustaining. [2]

Om Shukla et al (2016): “Canal Top Solar PV Plant in Gujarat, A

Unique Nexus of Energy, Land and Water”

The state of Gujarat has made great strides in harnessing tremendous potential of solar
energy through path-breaking concept of installing solar photovoltaic panels on canal tops
to generate environment friendly power. In this article the authors describe in detail the
conception, implementation and methodology behind this canal top solar PV plant in
Gujarat. It concludes by saying, the canal top solar power plant is an innovative idea that
efficiently utilizes land and conserves water. It provides a better administrative model for
smart village, smart city, and irrigation projects. Further, it can be developed under the
public private partnership (PPP) mode.[3]

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CHAPTER 3
CASE STUDY
3.1 CANAL TOP SOLAR POWER PLANT IN GUJARAT
The Canal Solar Power Project is a project launched in Gujarat, India, to use the 19,000 km
long network of Narmada canals across the state for setting up solar panels to generate
electricity. The pilot 1MW Narmada Solar Energy Plant project was awarded to SunEdison
with a mandate to provide solar power and simultaneously conserve canal water. The
project was sited at Sanand branch canal near Chandrasan for good reason – accessibility to
a grid, good roads and a north-south orientation to take maximum advantage of daylight.
[4]

Fig.3.1. 1MW Pilot Project

The benefits from the project are:
i) 1.6 million units of power is produced annually
ii) 9 million liters of water is conserved
iii) 6 acres of land has been conserved
iv) Algal growth in canal water has been reduced
This plant is built over a length of 750m of the branch canal and has 113 panels each of
size 16m x 4m.

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After the success of the pilot project, another 10MW plant was set up. The 10 MW plant on
the outskirts of Vadodara city, is built across 3.6 km of irrigation canal, and has 33,800
solar panels mounted on steel scaffolding. Connected to the state grid, its output is
intended mainly to meet demand from irrigation pumping stations. On a sunny day, the
plant generates 50,000 units of electricity (1 unit equals 1 hour of 1,000-watt usage), and is
scheduled to produce 16.2 million units in its first year, declining 1% annually as the
panels degrade. A quarter of the PV panels for the plant were procured from India, with the
rest imported from China.
The plant’s $18.3 million cost, including 25 years of operation and maintenance, is
recoverable in 13 years, according to Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL), the
Gujarat government agency that administers these facilities.

Fig.3.2. 10MW Project in Vadodara

The benefits from this project are:

i) 16.9 million units of power generated annually
ii) 90 million litres of water protected from evaporation per year
iii) 25 acres of land conserved

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3.2 METHODOLOGY

Constructing large structures without damaging the canal and its function became a
challenging task. The width of the canal bed was about 4m and the canal bank over 6m
wide. However, to provide an exemplary structure design, which could be easily replicated
in the future, a structure of 16m width was designed so as to fit on any large canal.
Construction of a structure in the middle of the flow path of the canal would have
obstructed the flow of water significantly. Thus, the structure was designed with only end
supports with piles. Although this design increased the cost of the project, it resulted in a
design which could be replicated in the future for canals facing water flow problems. The
mounting structure also created a region of high air flow below it, similar to a wind tunnel.
To reduce the chances of damage to the structure owing to high wind speeds, the concept
of a wind breaker was introduced. Vertical panels were attached to the first and last row of
the structures, connected to free floating barrels in the water. The barrels rise with the
water level, lifting the panels above. In this way the water is shielded from the wind and yet
allowed to flow unimpeded. By this clever stratagem, almost 7 million litres of water is
saved annually. This significantly reduces the wind speed, thus preventing damage to the
structure. Walkways, 15m apart, are used for regular cleaning of the panels.

Fig.3.2.1. Land levelling and site clearing for approach

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Fig.3.2.2. Excavation for Piling

Fig.3.2.3. Pile capping

Fig.3.2.4. Structure and Purlin Erection

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The solar panels are mounted on the structure. The solar PV panels chosen are the silicon
poly-crystalline PV modules which are more efficient compared to thin film modules.
They produce more power in the same amount of space.

Fig.3.2.5. Module Erection

The major points to be considered for the construction of a canal top solar power plant are:
i) Identification of suitable canal stretch:
A suitable stretch of canal has to be identified for easier installation of the solar
panels. That stretch of canal should not have any curvature, should be preferably straight
and should be

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oriented in the north-south direction. Also, there should be no surrounding obstacles such
as trees that would interrupt the incident sunlight.

ii) Orientation of the Solar Panels:

The solar panels must always be placed along east-west direction and tilted towards
the south. This is because, when the panels are tilted south, the sunrays are incident
perpendicular to the panels.

iii) Easy Accessibility to Grids:

To reduce transmission losses, the power plant is preferred to be located nearby to a
power transmission grid.

iv) Easy Access for Operation and Maintenance:

There should be enough land available on the sides of the canal for accessing the
panels in case of any operation and maintenance issues. Thus, roads are provided on either
side of the canals for this purpose. This also helps in monitoring the plant from security
point of view, time to time.

v) Performance of the PV Systems:

The efficient crystalline module type is chosen for this purpose. These panels,
however, have to be cleaned from time to time on the surface with water to wash off any
dust that interrupts the incident sunlight. The water lying beneath the panels provides a
cooling effect on the panels and thus increases the efficiency of power generation.

vi) Ground Level, Strength of Soil and Soil Type:

Before piling is done, the strength of the soil and soil type on the banks of the canal
has to be studied. The piles provided must not cause any distortion in the canal lining.[1]

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3.3 OUTCOMES
3.3.1 REPLICATION AND COST BENIFIT ANALYSIS
1) REPLICATION

The canal top power plant presents an amazing potential for replication. The project is
easy to begin as very few approvals or clearances are required. Further, it offers a faster
implementation period as no land acquisition or development is required. Since irrigation
canals exist throughout India, it provides a fairly simple and economically viable model for
replication. In Gujarat alone, where the pilot project is successfully implemented, there
exists a canal network of 80,000 km. As per the estimation of the Gujarat State Electricity
Corporation Limited (GSECL), even if 30% of this canal network is used for solar PV plant
installation, it can generate up to 18,000 MW of power and a saving of 90,000 acres of
land. Similar large canal networks exist across the entire country, ensuring a cost effective
and smart model for generating energy. Many other canal top plants have been set up in
India itself - a 10MW plant has been replicated in the city of Vadodara in Gujarat, a 1MW
plant has been set up in Karnataka, and a canal top plant has also been added in Andhra
Pradesh. It is pertinent to note at this juncture that similar canal networks exist throughout
the world. Also, the possibilities to further implement this idea are endless. Recognizing its
importance, the Government of India has prepared the policy for absorbing 100MW of
capacity addition through canal top solar projects. The first pilot project demonstrated by
the GSECL received the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Best Project in Public
Administration for the year 2015.

2) COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS

The cost analysis shows that for the same MW of power installation, the installation cost
of canal top projects is more than that of ground mounted. The cost breakups are shown
below: Based on the straight stretch of canal, upper width of canal and ground level
difference availability over canal are major factors to decide the following attributes

 Project Cost including DC/AC cable Length

 Module Mounting Structure Type
 Construction involving columns and rafter throughout canal top which varies with
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the width of the canal.

The canal tops canal with width from 9 m to 30 m is good for the installation. The structure
tonnage is directly proportional to upper width of canal and accordingly costing varies. It
has been analyzed that the comparative cost of the canal top project with increasing
capacity decreases with the increase of canal width.

Graph 3.3.1. Project Cost with increasing width for same MW

Project

Graph 3.3.1 depicts that for same MW, canal project will cost more as compared to
ground- mounted project. And with the increasing width the cost of project increases. [6]

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Graph 3.3.2. Ratio of Project Cost to increasing Canal Width

Graph 3.3.2 depicts that ratio of cost of project with respect of increasing width of canal
top reduces. Hence for larger width, construction cost as compared to be smaller with will
be less and more modules can be installed as larger area is available. Hence, there will be
more power generation. [6]

3.4 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES
 Zero consumption of land.
 Saves evaporation of water (approx. 9 million litres per year).
 Enhanced energy generation by 2.5%: Solar cells give out a lower voltage output when
they are subjected to heating. Typically, this results in solar PV plants losing 10-15 % of
the available energy on an annual average basis. These losses result in the loss of final
power of up to 8% annually. It was observed that the solar cells mounted on the canal
top were cooler than their land-based counterparts. This resulted in the cells with an
average temperature which was cooler by 10%. Due to this, the energy generated by the
plant was significantly higher than a ground mounted solar PV plant.

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 No resettlement and rehabilitation issues since there is no question of separate land
acquisition.
 Does not disturb any flora and fauna.
 Reduced transmission and distribution losses since it is not far from the point of
consumption.
 Prevents growth of algae: The water in the canals gives rise to algae growth due to
abundant sunlight and moisture. Algae block and clog the irrigation and water pumps
and spoil the quality of water. Thus, due to the fitment of solar PV panels and absence of
sunlight, algae growth is drastically minimized. This helps in lowering the cost of
maintenance and extends the life of irrigation equipment.
 Lower panel degradation compared to traditional ground mounted PV systems:
Typically for ground mounted PV panels, the power output decreases by 1% on a flat
basis for the first 10 years. But the canal mounted panels have a life expectancy of at
least 25 years.

DISADVANTAGES

 Higher initial cost of construction: The canal mounted PV system has a higher cost of
construction compared to ground mounted PV systems.
 Uniform alignment of panels is difficult: Due to the curvature of the canals, it’s difficult
to choose a suitable site for the installation of the panels.
 Careful maintenance is necessary.
 Maintenance of the canal after installation of panels is difficult: In cases where there is
silting of canal, it is difficult to desilt the canals with the solar panels installed.
 Providing security over large lengths is difficult: Monitoring large lengths of the canal
for local thefts, damage or any other security purpose is difficult since they cannot be
protected by boundary walls or fencing,
 Structural steel cost: As the structures would get base support only from its two ends it
needs to be much stronger than in case it would have been installed on land, thus adding
more cost.

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CHAPTER 4
SUMMARY

 The canal top solar power plant is an innovative idea that efficiently utilizes land and
conserves water. It provides reliable power for agricultural purposes.

 Since the pumps are often located at remote locations, this would also solve the issue of
transmission of electricity as well as strengthen the grid. This way, the canal top
becomes the best administrative model for community scale solar powered water
pumping or village electrification program.

 Solar pumps no longer need to be installed in isolation since they are susceptible to theft,
mishandling, poor maintenance, etc.

 Canal top offers better administrative model. The canal top solar PV project has a very
big role to play in the Smart City Program, National Solar Mission, and greater use of
irrigation pumps. Further, it can be developed under the public private partnership (PPP)
mode.

 With declining cost trends, canal top projects are expected to acquire a larger share of
national solar targets. Large capacity canal top solar parks may offer faster and more
economical deployment of solar power projects in India.

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REFERENCES

[1] Rani Chacko, Joffie Jacob (2016) : Canal Top Solar Energy Harvesting
using Reflector. GRD Journals- Global Research and Development Journal for
Engineering, Volume: 1, Issue: 8, July 2016, ISSN: 2455-5703

[2] Omkar D Gaikwad, Prof. U.L.Deshpande (2017) : Evaporation Control

using Floating PV System and Canal Roof Top Solar System. International
Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), Volume: 04, Issue:
04, Apr 2017, ISSN: 2395-0056

[3] Om Shukla, Dr. Sagar Kumar M Agarvat, Bela B Jani, Narayani

Srivatsava, Gurdeep Singh (2016): Canal Top Solar PV Plant in Gujarat

[4] S.S Rathore, WFEF 2016: canal top power plant, an innovative initiative

[5] Narayani shivastava (2016): canal top PV plant in Gujarat

[6] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/feasibility-assessment-approach-cost-
benefit-analysis-ashish-verma

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