1307th largest plant in California · 9978th nationally
Bio-Rad is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 2.3 MW. It generates roughly 3.3k MWh per year — enough to power about 318 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 17% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Bio-Rad |
|---|---|
| Operator | Vista Solar, Inc. |
| City | Hercules |
| County | Contra Costa County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 94547 |
| Coordinates | 38.02249, -122.27366 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIORD | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 2.3 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Bio-Rad Usa | Hercules, CA | 10000.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | California Independent System Operator |
Utility-scale solar farms convert sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic panels. They produce zero direct emissions and have no fuel cost, but generation is variable — peaking at midday and falling to zero at night. Capacity factors typically run 18–28% in good locations.