Desert Sunlight Solar Farm
{{short description|Photovoltaic power station in California}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Desert Sunlight Solar Farm
| name_official =
| image = 02-09-15 First Solar Desert Sunlight Solar Farm (15863210084).jpg
| image_caption = Solar arrays at Desert Sunlight
| image_alt =
| coordinates = {{coord|33|49|17|N|115|23|38|W|type:landmark_region:US-CA_scale:50000|display=inline,title}}
| country = United States
| location = Riverside County, California
| status = Operational
| construction_began = 2011
| commissioned = 2015
| decommissioned =
| cost =
| owner = NextEra Energy Resources, GE Energy Financial Services, Sumitomo Group
| operator =
| solar_type = Flat-panel PV
fixed tilt
| ps_site_area = {{Convert|3900|acre|ha}}
| ps_electrical_capacity= 550 MWAC
| ps_electrical_cap_fac=27.5% (average 2015-2018)
| ps_annual_generation= 1,325 GW·h,
340 MW·h/acre
| website = [http://www.firstsolar.com/en/about-us/projects/desert-sunlight-solar-farm firstsolar.com]
| extra =
}}
The Desert Sunlight Solar Farm is a 550-megawatt (MWAC) photovoltaic power station approximately six miles north of Desert Center, California, United States, in the Mojave Desert. It was made by the US thin-film manufacturer First Solar. It has the same 550 MW installed capacity as the Topaz Solar Farm in the Carrizo Plain region of Central California, making both of them tied for the second largest completed solar plants by installed capacity as of fall 2015.Goldenstein, Taylor ( 9 February 2015) [http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-solar-farm-20150209-story.html "Huge solar farm opens in California: Enough energy for 160,000 homes"] Los Angeles Times.FirstSolar.com [http://www.firstsolar.com/en/about-us/projects/desert-sunlight-solar-farm Desert Sunlight Solar Farm]
Project details
The project was built on over {{convert|6|sqmi}} of creosote bush-dominated desert habitat near Desert Center next to Joshua Tree National Park.{{cite web|title=Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Project|url=http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/Solar_Projects/Desert_Sunlight.html |publisher=Bureau of Land Management|access-date=4 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130012811/http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/Solar_Projects/Desert_Sunlight.html |archive-date=30 November 2011|url-status=dead}} Construction began in September 2011 and final completion was in January 2015.{{cite web |title=Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, Desert Center, california |url=https://www.powermag.com/desert-sunlight-solar-farm-desert-center-california/ |website=Powermag}}
File:Desert Sunlight (52290008686).jpg
A 230 MW and 920 MWh (4-hour) battery storage power station was added in 2022.{{cite web |last1=Murray |first1=Cameron |title=230MW BESS comes online at Bureau of Land Management site in California |url=https://www.energy-storage.news/230mw-bess-comes-online-at-bureau-of-land-management-site-in-california/ |website=Energy Storage News |date=17 August 2022}}
Electricity production
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center; font-size:0.9em; width:350px;"
|+Total Facility Generation | |
| Year | Total Annual MW·h |
|---|---|
| 2013
| 104,301 | |
| 2014
| 1,020,905 | |
| 2015
| 1,286,763 | |
| 2016
| 1,346,282 | |
| 2017
| 1,321,129 | |
| 2018
| 1,344,841 | |
| Average (2015–2018)
! 1,324,754 |
| class=wikitable style="text-align:right; font-size:0.9em; width:950px;"
|+Generation (MW·h) of Desert Sunlight 250, LLC {{cite web |url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/58542/?pin=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.58542-SUN-ALL.M&linechart=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.58542-SUN-ALL.M |title=Desert Sunlight 250, LLC, Monthly |work=Electricity Data Browser |publisher=Energy Information Administration |access-date=May 22, 2020}} | |||||||||||||
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013
| || || || || || || || || || || 12,877 || 15,657 ! 28,534 | |||||||||||||
| 2014
| 21,773 || 27,207 || 34,901 || 41,461 || 39,400 || 43,829 || 51,572 || 39,497 || 46,360 || 46,364 || 46,793 || 34,333 ! 473,490 | |||||||||||||
| 2015
| 40,399 || 47,894 || 56,371 || 59,569 || 60,775 || 57,715 || 58,348 || 58,787 || 39,097 || 47,562 || 45,791 || 41,633 ! 613,941 | |||||||||||||
| 2016
| 39,151 || 50,933 || 55,135 || 54,198 || 63,118 || 59,008 || 61,051 || 57,526 || 53,062 || 50,947 || 43,476 || 36,137 ! 623,742 | |||||||||||||
| 2017
| 25,225 || 28,175 || 52,539 || 55,354 || 69,598 || 75,424 || 68,750 || 63,536 || 59,329 || 54,655 || 33,586 || 32,031 ! 618,201 | |||||||||||||
| 2018
| 28,722 || 40,501 || 46,310 || 57,894 || 69,784 || 75,188 || 64,990 || 65,442 || 61,950 || 48,809 || 33,573 || 26,709 ! 619,921 |
| class=wikitable style="text-align:right; font-size:0.9em; width:950px;"
|+Generation (MW·h) of Desert Sunlight 300, LLC {{cite web |url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/57993/?pin=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.57993-SUN-ALL.M&linechart=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.57993-SUN-ALL.M |title=Desert Sunlight 300, LLC, Monthly |work=Electricity Data Browser |publisher=Energy Information Administration |access-date=May 22, 2020}} | |||||||||||||
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013
| || || || || || || || 10,015 || || || 32,709 || 33,043 ! 75,767 | |||||||||||||
| 2014
| 32,312 || 34,615 || 44,998 || 45,876 || 43,733 || 47,205 || 45,698 || 44,642 || 66,531 || 51,571 || 52,960 || 37,274 ! 547,415 | |||||||||||||
| 2015
| 45,802 || 52,966 || 60,742 || 64,541 || 61,367 || 63,147 || 63,620 || 63,517 || 44,398 || 53,467 || 51,543 || 47,712 ! 672,822 | |||||||||||||
| 2016
| 44,903 || 58,492 || 61,875 || 60,223 || 74,220 || 70,241 || 72,661 || 67,907 || 61,623 || 58,041 || 50,542 || 41,812 ! 722,540 | |||||||||||||
| 2017
| 28,682 || 32,036 || 59,740 || 62,940 || 79,137 || 85,761 || 78,172 || 72,243 || 67,460 || 62,146 || 38,189 || 36,421 ! 702,928 | |||||||||||||
| 2018
| 33,645 || 47,361 || 54,154 || 67,699 || 81,604 || 87,922 || 75,998 || 76,527 || 72,443 || 57,076 || 39,259 || 31,232 ! 724,920 |
See also
{{stack|{{Portal|California|Renewable energy}}}}
- {{C|Solar power in the Mojave Desert}}
- Topaz Solar Farm
- Photovoltaics
- List of photovoltaic power stations
References
{{reflist}}
{{Generating stations in California|state=autocollapse}}
{{Solar power in the United States}}
Category:Solar power in the Mojave Desert
Category:Solar power stations in California
Category:Buildings and structures in Riverside County, California
Category:Desert Center, California
Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 2015