Many countries and territories have installed significant solar power capacity into their electrical grids to supplement or provide an alternative to conventional energy sources. Solar power plants use one of two technologies:
The Waldpolenz Solar Park is a 52-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station built by German developer and operator Juwi at a former military air base near Leipzig, Eastern Germany. When completed by the end of 2008, it was the world's largest thin-film solar park using CdTe-modules.
Solar power accounted for an estimated 8.2 per cent of electricity in Germany in 2019, which was almost exclusively from photovoltaics (PV). About 1.5 million photovoltaic systems were installed around the country in 2014, ranging from small rooftop systems, to medium commercial and large utility-scale solar parks. Germany's largest solar farms are located in Meuro, Neuhardenberg, and Templin with capacities over 100 MW.
Between 1992 and 2023, the worldwide usage of photovoltaics (PV) increased exponentially. During this period, it evolved from a niche market of small-scale applications to a mainstream electricity source. From 2016-2022 it has seen an annual capacity and production growth rate of around 26%- doubling approximately every three years.
Solar power in Romania had an installed capacity of 1,374 megawatt (MW) as of the end of 2017. The country had in 2007 an installed capacity of 0.30 MW, which increased to 3.5 MW by the end of 2011, and to 6.5 MW by the end of 2012. However, the record year of 2013 was an exception, and new installation fell back from 1,100 MW to a moderate level of 69 MW in 2014.
Sfântu Gheorghe Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system on a 4 ha plot of land near the Sfântu Gheorghe city in Romania. The power plant is a 2.4-megawatt solar power system using state-of-the-art thin film technology, and was finished by the end of 2012. The solar park is expected to supply 1,000 MWh of electricity per year.
Lechința Solar Park, a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, lies on a 3.4 ha plot of land near the Lechința commune in Romania. The power plant is a 1.7-megawatt solar power system using state-of-the-art thin film technology, and was completed in August 2012, one month after construction started. The solar park features 6,762 solar panels and 54 string inverters. It supplies 1,000 MWh of electricity per year.
Singureni Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic power system built on a 5 ha plot of land near the Singureni commune in Romania. The power plant is a 1-megawatt solar power system using 4176 240 Watt-peak panels of state-of-the-art thin film technology. It was completed in December 2010. The solar park is expected to supply 1,300 MWh of electricity per year. Construction began in May 2010 and was completed in December 2010.
A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solar power plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system designed for the supply of merchant power. They are different from most building-mounted and other decentralized solar power because they supply power at the utility level, rather than to a local user or users. Utility-scale solar is sometimes used to describe this type of project.
Scornicești Solar Park, a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, is built on a 5 ha plot of land near the town of Scornicești in Romania. The power plant is a 1-megawatt solar power system using 4,176 240 Wp panels of state-of-the-art thin film technology, and was completed in December 2011. The solar park was expected to supply 1,300 MWh of electricity per year. Construction began in September 2011 and was completed in December of the same year.
Crevedia Solar Park, a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, is on a 10 ha plot of land near the Crevedia commune in Romania. The power plant is a 2-megawatt solar power system using 8400 245 Wp panels of state-of-the-art thin film technology. The solar park is expected to supply 2,500 MWh of electricity per year. Construction began in March 2012 and was completed in December 2012.
Livada Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, built on a 135 ha plot of land located between Livada and Drăguşeni in Romania. The solar park has around 230,000 state-of-the-art thin film PV panels for a total nameplate capacity of 56-megawatts, and was finished in November 2013. The solar park is expected to supply around 33.6 GWh of electricity per year enough to power some 60,000 average homes.
Sebiș Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, built on a 200 ha plot of land located in Sebiș, Arad County, in western Romania.
Slobozia Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, built on a 113 ha plot of land located in Slobozia in Romania. The solar park has around 180,000 state-of-the-art thin film PV panels for a total nameplate capacity of 45-megawatts, and was finished in September 2013. The solar park is expected to supply around 63 GWh of electricity per year enough to power some 69,000 average homes.
Ucea de Sus Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, built on a 200 ha plot of land located in Ucea in Romania. The solar park has around 332,000 state-of-the-art thin film PV panels for a total nameplate capacity of 82-megawatts, and was finished in December 2013. The solar park is expected to supply around 115 GWh of electricity per year enough to power some 126,000 average homes.
Izvoarele Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, built on a 125 ha plot of land located in Izvoarele in Romania. The solar park has around 215,000 state-of-the-art thin film PV panels for a total nameplate capacity of 50-megawatts, and was finished in September 2013. The solar park is expected to supply around 70 GWh of electricity per year enough to power some 77,000 average homes.
Târgu Cărbunești Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, built on a 50 ha plot of land located in Târgu Cărbunești in Romania. The solar park has around 80,000 state-of-the-art thin film PV panels for a total nameplate capacity of 20-megawatts, and was finished in July 2013. The solar park is expected to supply around 28 GWh of electricity per year enough to power some 31,000 average homes.
Bucșani Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, built on a 24 ha plot of land located in Bucșani in Romania. The solar park has around 41,624 state-of-the-art thin film PV panels for a total nameplate capacity of 10-megawatts, and was finished in December 2013. The solar park is expected to supply around 18 GWh of electricity per year enough to power some 19,700 average homes.
Mount Signal Solar, also known as Imperial Valley Solar Project, is a 794 MWp (614 MWAC) photovoltaic power station west of Calexico, California, United States, in the southern Imperial Valley, near the Mexican border. The facility is being developed and constructed by 8minutenergy Renewables in three phases, with two completed as of 2018. At full build-out, it will be one of the world's largest PV solar farms with a capacity of about 800 MWp (600 MWAC). The project has been supported by several environmental groups, as the power station was built on low productivity farmland.
Rătești Solar Park is a large thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system, built on a 170 ha plot of land located in Rătești in Romania. The solar park has around 135,000 state-of-the-art thin film PV panels for a total nameplate capacity of 155-megawatts, and was finished in October 2023. The solar park is expected to supply enough energy to power some 100,000 average homes. Over €100 million were invested for the project.
