Distributed generation, also distributed energy, on-site generation (OSG), or district/decentralized energy, is electrical generation and storage performed by a variety of small, grid-connected or distribution system-connected devices referred to as distributed energy resources (DER).
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:
Solar power is a major contributor to electricity supply in Australia. As of September 2024, Australia's over 3.92 million solar PV installations had a combined capacity of 37.8 GW photovoltaic (PV) solar power. In 2019, 59 solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 2,881 MW were either under construction, constructed or due to start construction having reached financial closure. Solar accounted for 12.4% of Australia's total electrical energy production in 2021.
The Nellis Solar Power Plant is a 14-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station located within Nellis Air Force Base in Clark County, Nevada, northeast of Las Vegas. The power plant was inaugurated in a ceremony on December 17, 2007, with Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons activating its full operation. On average, it has since generated 32 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and supplied more than 25% of the power used at the base.
For solar power, South Asia has the ideal combination of both high solar insolation and a high density of potential customers.
Solar power has a small but growing role in electricity production in the United Kingdom.
Ghana generates electric power from hydropower, fossil-fuel, and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. Electricity generation is one of the key factors in order to achieve the development of the Ghanaian national economy, with aggressive and rapid industrialization; Ghana's national electric energy consumption was 265 kilowatt hours per each one in 2009.
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.
Solar power in South Africa includes photovoltaics (PV) as well as concentrated solar power (CSP). As of July 2024, South Africa had 2,287 MW of installed utility-scale PV solar power capacity in its grid, in addition to 5,791 MW of rooftop solar and 500 MW of CSP. Installed capacity is expected to reach 8,400 MW by 2030.
Renewable energy in Nepal is a sector that is rapidly developing in Nepal. While Nepal mainly relies on burning biomass for its energy needs, solar and wind power is being seen as an important supplement to solve its energy crisis. The most common form of renewable energy in Nepal is hydroelectricity.
Solar power in Chile is an increasingly important source of energy. Total installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Chile reached 8.36 GW in 2023. Solar energy provided 19.9% of national electricity generation in Chile in 2023, compared to less than 0.1% in 2013.
Nuwakot Solar Power Station is located at Nuwakot District of Nepal. It is the largest solar power plant of Nepal. The plant is owned by Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). The solar panels are installed in six locations within the premises of Devighat Hydropower Station which is also owned by the NEA. Energy generated by the project is connected to the 66 kV sub-station of Devighat Hydropower Station. The solar station generates energy only during the daytime.
Butwal Solar PV Project is located at Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province, Nepal. The plant is owned and run by Ridi Hydropower Development Company Ltd, an IPP. The plant came in operation in October 2020.
The Ségou Solar Power Station is a planned 33 MW (44,000 hp) solar power plant in Mali. The power station is in the development stage, under concessional terms by the company Ségou Solaire, a subsidiary of Scatec, a Norwegian conglomerate, under a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The Bwengu Solar Power Station is a 50 megawatts solar power plant, under construction in Malawi. The power station is under development by a consortium led by Quantel Renewable Energy, an independent power producer (IPP), based in the United States. Construction began in February 2022, with commercial commissioning expected in the first quarter of 2023. The energy generated at this solar farm is expected to be sold to the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).
The Shangani Solar Power Station is a proposed 25 megawatts solar power plant in Zimbabwe. The project is under development by a Zimbabwean independent power producer (IPP), called Shangani Renewable Energy. It is expected that when this power station begins commercial operations, the energy generated here will be sold to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), for integration into the national grid.
Mithila Solar PV Station is a 10 MW solar station located at Dhanusha District, Province No. 2; Nepal. The plant is owned and run by Eco Power Development Pvt. Ltd., an IPP. The plant came in operation in February 2021.
