Currently, more than five million solar systems are put into service in the U. S. as per SEIA. The following are the top five biggest Solar Energy Facilities in U.S, with reference to power producing capacity in 2024.
1. Copper Mountain Solar Facility-Nevada
As many as five individual plants sum up to more than one GW of solar energy or about one half of the capacity of the Hoover Dam.
Also known as the Nevada Solar Power Plant, Copper Mountain Solar Facility is a solar power plant in Boulder City, Nevada which currently has 9 million plus solar panels installed across 4,000 plus acres or about 5,000 football fields. Construction of the plant was started perhaps in 2010.
2. Solar and Storage Project By Edwards & Sanborn In California
Situated in Kern County California, Edwards and Sanborn has an installed capacity in solar power of 875MW and 3. It is expected to have a storage capacity that is equal to 3 gigawatt-hours (GWh).
It has about 1. 99 Million solar panels and generates sufficient electricity to supply around 238,000 of the local houses while reducing an estimated 320,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
Grossing over 3,1 million sq meters; the project was the biggest public-private partnership in the history of United States Department of Defense since a portion of the site is a part of the Edwards Air Force Base.
3. Solar Star, California
Kern and Los Angeles counties’ Solar Star continues to be one of the biggest solar facilities in the country boasting of having 579 MW capacity. It comprises 1. 7 million solar panels installed on approximately 3 200 of acres.
The project commenced its operations in June 2015 and has a total generation capacity of 579 MW which covers about 255,000 households.
The project also incorporate single axis tracking system in which the panels are calibrated in a way that they turn to face the sun all day. This enhances energy generation by twenty-five percent, as opposed to fixed-position modules.
4. Topaz Solar Farm, California
Located in the Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obispo County of California, the Topaz Solar Farm is among the completed projects since the year 2015 with an installed capacity of 550 MW.
This 3,700-hectare installation can generate electricity to supply 180000 houses and reduce 407000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission per year, which is approximate to the emissions of 77000 cars in the United States of America.
According to the findings it was revealed that farm has a positive impact on the local economy contributing $417, 000,000.
5. Company: Desert Sunlight Solar Farm – California
The Desert Sunlight Solar Farm is of 550MW in power generation capacity. Construction was undertaken from September of the year 2011.
This project has been done in two phases, while the first one was developed to supply energy capacity of 330 MW the second one was developed to supply energy capacity of 250 MW.
The farm generates enough electricity to power around 159,356 households in California and could potentially replace about 299, 712 metric tons of CO2 annually.
While most of the names are mainly California based projects, the Golden State is not the only place that has emerged as a leader in renewable energy projects.
Quite recently, it was reported that a solar farm in Texas is capable of generating as much electricity as the size of New York Central Park. This project could cut down approximately 600,000 metric tons of CO2 annually.
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