Solar photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity and many solar photovoltaic power stations have been built, mainly in Europe. As of October 2009, the largest photovoltaic (PV) power plants in the world are the Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park (Spain, 60 MW), the Strasskirchen Solar Park (Germany, 54 MW), the Lieberose Photovoltaic Park (Germany, 53 MW), the Puertollano Photovoltaic Park (Spain, 50 MW), the Moura Photovoltaic Power Station (Portugal, 46 MW), and the Waldpolenz Solar Park (Germany, 40 MW). Some photovoltaic power stations which are presently proposed will have a capacity of 150 MW or more.

Many of these plants are integrated with agriculture and some use innovative tracking systems that follow the sun's daily path across the sky to generate more electricity than conventional fixed-mounted systems. There are no fuel costs or emissions during operation of the power stations.

World's largest photovoltaic power stations (20 MW or larger)
Power station Country Nominal Power
(MWp)		 Production
(Annual GW·h)		 Capacity
factor		 Notes
Sarnia PV power plant Canada 80

Completion 2010
Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park Spain 60 85 0.16 Completed September 2008
Strasskirchen Solar Park Germany 54 57

Lieberose Photovoltaic Park Germany 53 53 0.11 2009
Puertollano Photovoltaic Park Spain 47.6

231'653 crystalline silicon modules, Suntech and Solaria, opened 2008
Moura photovoltaic power station Portugal 46 93 0.23 Completed December 2008
Kothen Solar Park Germany 45

2009
Finsterwalde Solar Park Germany 42

2009
Waldpolenz Solar Park Germany 40 40 0.11 550,000 First Solar thin-film CdTe modules. Completed December 2008
Planta Solar La Magascona & La Magasquila Spain 34.5


Arnedo Solar Plant Spain 34

Completed October 2008
Planta Solar Dulcinea Spain 31.8

Completed 2009
Merida/Don Alvaro Solar Park Spain 30

Completed September 2008
Planta Solar Ose de la Vega Spain 30


Planta Fotovoltaico Casas de Los Pinos Spain 28


Planta Solar Fuente Alamo Spain 26 44

DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center USA 25 42 0.19 Completed October 2009
SinAn power plant Korea 24 33 0.16 Completed October 2008
Montalto di Castro PV power plant Italy 24 40
Completed 2009
Arnprior Solar Generating Station Canada 23.4


Planta fotovoltaica de Lucainena de las Torres Spain 23.2

Completed August 2008
Abertura Photovoltaic Power Station Spain 23.1 47 0.23
Hoya de Los Vicentes Solar Plant Spain 23 41 0.20
Pocking Solar Park Germany 22


Mengkofen Solar Park Germany 21.7


El Coronil Solar Power Plant Spain 21.4


Solarpark Calveron Spain 21.2 40 0.22
Rothenburg photovoltaic solar park Germany 20.5


Seoul Solar Power Plant Korea 20


Huerta Solar Almaraz Spain 20

Completed September 2008
Calasparra Photovoltaic Power Plant Spain 20

Completed September 2008
Beneixama photovoltaic power plant Spain 20 30 0.17 Tenesol, Aleo and Solon solar modules with Q-Cells cells
El Bonillo Solar Park Spain 20

Completed October 2008
Kunming Shilin Solar Power Plant China 20

Capacity 166 MW. Production started on May 2010 at 20 MW.
For comparison, the largest non-photovoltaic solar plant, the solar thermal SEGS in California has an installed capacity of 354 MW. The largest nuclear power stations generate more than 1,000 MW.


Selected smaller plants which are notable
Name of PV power plant Country DC
Peak
Power
(MW)		 GW·h
/year		 Capacity
factor		 Notes
Koethen Germany 14.75 13
200,000 First Solar thin-film CdTe modules. Completed December 2008
Nellis Solar Power Plant USA 14.02 30 0.24 70,000 solar panels
Planta Solar de Salamanca Spain 13.8

70,000 Kyocera panels
Lobosillo Solar Park Spain 12.7

Chaori and YingLi modules
Erlasee Solar Park Germany 12 14 0.13 1,408 Solon mover
Serpa solar power plant Portugal 11 20 0.21 52,000 solar modules
Pocking Solar Park Germany 10 11.5 0.13 57,912 solar modules
Kennedy Space Center, Florida USA 10

constructed by SunPower for FPL Energy, completion date April 8, 2010.
Monte Alto photovoltaic power plant Spain 9.5 14 0.17
Gottelborn Solar Park Germany 8.4 8.4 0.11
Alamosa photovoltaic solar power plant USA 8.2 17 0.24 Completed December 2007
Bavaria Solarpark Germany 6.3 6.7 0.12 57,600 solar modules
Rote Jahne Solar Park Germany 6 5.7 0.11 90,000 First Solar thin-film modules
Darro Solar Park Spain 5.8 11.6 0.23 Conergy and SunPower modules
Kameyama Japan 5.2

47,000 square meters on Sharp LCD factory roof


Large systems in planning or under construction
Name of Plant Country DC
Peak
Power
(MW)		 GW·h
/year		 Capacity
factor		 Notes
Ordos Solar Project China 2000 ~3875 ~.25 Thin film CdTe from First Solar, scheduled completion date 2019, to be completed in 4 stages **
Topaz Photovoaltic Solar Farm USA 550 1,066 0.23 Thin film CdTe from First Solar **
Desert Stateline USA 300 673 0.26 Scheduled to be completed in 2015 **
Desert Sunlight 1 USA 300 619 0.23 Scheduled to be completed in 2015 **
Aqua Caliente Solar Project USA 290 688 0.27 Scheduled to be completed in 2014 **
AV Solar Ranch One USA 230 600 0.30 **
California Valley Solar Ranch (CVSR) USA 210 550 0.25 Scheduled to be completed in 2011 **
Mallee Solar Park Australia 180

Thin film CdTe from First Solar**
Mildura Solar Concentrator Power Station Australia 154 270 0.20 Heliostat concentrator using GaAs cells from Spectrolab**
Mesquite Solar Energy 1 USA 150 350 0.27 Scheduled to be completed in 2013 **
KCRD Solar Farm USA 80

Scheduled to be completed in 2012 **
Alpaugh Solar Plant USA 50 80 0.18 Scheduled to be completed in 2013 **
Alpine Suntower USA 66 145 0.25 Scheduled to be completed in 2012 **
Lopburi Solar Farm Thailand 55

* Expected to be completed by 2012
Cimarron Solar Farm USA 30 60 0.23 * Expected to be completed by December 2010
St. Isidore, Ontario* Canada 24

153,000 panels, St. Isidore A 12 MW completed Dec 2010, St. Isidore B to complete in 2011
Davidson County Photovoltaic Solar Plant USA 21.5

36 individual structures**
Guadarranque or Cádiz solar power plant Spain 20.1 36 0.20 *