Solar energy is one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable resources, and with nations vying for supremacy in the emerging sector, the top dog is never clear too long. The eight largest solar power facilities on the planet are subjected to profiling for on-power tech.
China and the United States are leading the solar market charge, accounting for two-thirds of global solar power growth.
Throughout the last five years, solar energy potential has risen by roughly 60%, reaching 485.82GW in 2018.
Where, on the other side, are the largest solar power plants?
Based on generation capacity, Power Technology rates the world’s largest operating solar power plants.
That said, here are three of the largest renewable energy projects located in the most efficient solar energy systems.
Topaz Solar Farm and Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in the US
The Topaz solar farm is located in San Luis Obispo County, in California, in the northwestern part of the Carrisa Plains. First Solar built the 550MW facility, which BHE Renewables later purchased on the date, January 2012.
The plant, which was completed in 2014, spans 4,700 acres of land and comprises over eight million photovoltaic panels. In California, Topaz provides power to nearly 180,000 households.
Solar Star Projects in the US
Solar Star Projects consists of two projects, Solar Star 1 and Solar Star 2, that are co-located in Kern as well as Los Angeles counties, Rosamond, California. The two projects have a total capacity of 579MW and are made up of over 1.7 million photovoltaic panels spread across 3,200 acres.
SunPower Corporation created the property, and BHE Renewables considers them under their assets. They have the SunPower® Oasis® Power Plant engineering, which allows the boards to monitor the sun during the day, increasing energy capture by up to 25%.
Kamuthi Solar Power Station in India
The Kamuthi solar power plant in Tamil Nadu, India, seems to have a total capacity of 648MW. The site, which spans 2,500 acres (10 kilometers2) and includes 2.5 million solar panels, is expected to provide enough energy for 750,000 people.
The Kamuthi solar power station, which cost $680 million to construct, was launched in November 2016. It has been built in about eight months by an 8,500-strong workforce. 38,000 frameworks were built for the solar energy initiative, which also included 6,000 kilometers of cables, 576 electric motors, and 154 generators.