Recently, various efforts have been made to save energy. One way to harness energy is with solar panels. Considering that the sun has already fallen on the earth, it would be a waste not to use the sun’s light in this way. Solar panels have proven to be very useful. Many people have decided to adopt these to power their homes and businesses. But others have decided to think bigger and use even larger solar panels. This is how the solar farm was born. So what are the 10 largest solar farms in the US? Are any of them near you? Read on to find out!

What is a solar farm?

Before we get into the largest solar farm in the US, we need to clarify what a solar farm is. A solar farm is also commonly known as a solar park or photovoltaic power station. These are a large group of photovoltaic solar panels that absorb the sun’s energy and convert it into usable electricity.

Unlike simple solar panels on the roof of a building, these panels send electricity to the grid. From there, it is distributed for consumption by customers across a specific region. Solar farms typically consist of panels that are attached to the ground. Not on the roof of a building.

There are utility scale solar farms and community solar farms. Utility-scale solar farms are very large, often consisting of hundreds of thousands of panels that absorb and convert energy. A community solar farm is a small facility that provides power to a small community.

Utility-scale solar farms are not only large, they typically power a much larger area. When we talk about the largest solar power plant in the United States, we mean the largest utility-scale solar power plant.

The 10 Largest Solar Plants in the United States

10. Installation of signal solar

Located in Imperial County, California, the plant has a total output of 594 MW (megawatts). The farm occupies approximately 801 hectares of farmland and consists of over 3 million of his solar modules that rotate along the orbit of the sun. Generates electricity for 72,000 households.

9. Antelope Valley Solar Ranch

Located in northern Los Angeles County, California, the solar power plant has a total capacity of 230 MW. Construction was completed in February 2013. The 3.8 million panels are mounted on metal racks that fit within 8 feet of the ground and can withstand high winds. The plant will be able to generate electricity for approximately 75,000 households.

8. California Valley Solar Ranch

The project has a capacity of 292 MW in San Luis Obispo County, California. It occupies approximately 4700 acres of land on the Carrizo Plain. Only about 30% of the project site is covered by facilities. The rest are being preserved by local species conservation efforts. The farm produces enough electricity for about 100,000 households each year.

7. Copper Mountain Solar Facility

This farm is located in Boulder City, Nevada. With a capacity of 552 MW, it will generate enough emissions-free power for nearly 14,000 homes. Construction he started in January 2010 and was completed by the end of the year. In March 2011, Renewable Energy World named the farm “Solar Project of the Year”.

6. Desert solar power plant

Just a few miles north of the Desert Center community, the farm has a capacity of 550 MW. Workers He began construction of this project in 2011. It’s an integral part of California’s commitment to generating at least 33% of its energy from renewable sources. The farm will generate enough electricity to power nearly 160,000 homes.

5. Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project

This solar farm is located in Nye County, Nevada. It occupies more than 1,600 acres of public land administered by the US Bureau of Land Management. The farm debuted in 2011 with a capacity of 110 MW. It is the largest solar farm with unique energy storage technology. The power plant has the capacity to generate enough electricity for approximately 75,000 households.

4. Agua Caliente Solar Project

Located in Yuma County, Arizona, this solar farm occupies what used to be White Wing farmland. The abundance of sunlight available makes it the perfect location for a solar power station. It has a power generation capacity of 290 MW. Construction of this project was completed in 2014. The Excellence in Renewable Energy Award named the farm ‘Project of the Year’ in 2012. It occupies 2,400 acres of land and provides enough power for about 230,000 homes at peak load.

3. Ivanpah Solar Power System

This plant is found at the base of Mount Clark in California’s Mojave Desert. The factory occupies five square miles of his space. Total capacity is 392 MW. This is unique among solar power plants in that it is actually a centralized solar thermal power plant. It uses a heliostat containing two mirrors that focus the solar energy into the boiler. Some people criticize the plant because it disrupts animal habitats and poses a danger to birds that get too close to the boiling towers. Water towers produce steam that spins turbines that produce enough electricity to power approximately 140,000 homes. This is the world’s largest solar thermal power plant.

2. Topaz Solar Farm

Completed in California in 2015, the Topaz Solar Farm occupies over 15 square kilometers of land. The farm is located on the Carrizo Plains in San Luis Obispo County. It generates enough power for 160,000 homes and has a capacity of 580 MW. Steel poles on this farm hold the solar modules about five feet off the ground. It takes up more land than the number one solar farm, but produces less electricity.

1. Solar Star

Not only is this the largest solar farm in the country, it was the largest in the world when it debuted in 2015. The California plant has approximately 1.7 million solar panels in Kern and Los Angeles counties. It covers an area of ​​13 square kilometers, equivalent to 142 football fields.

The project consists of two sections with capacities of 314 MW and 265 MW. In total, this farm will provide enough energy to power his 255,000 households. The farm’s panels can produce 25% more energy by moving with a single-axis tracker that orbits the sun.

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