442nd largest plant in Minnesota · 12726th nationally
Capricornus Community Solar Garden is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 1.0 MW. It generates roughly 1.7k MWh per year — enough to power about 160 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 19% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Capricornus Community Solar Garden |
|---|---|
| Operator | National Grid Renewables |
| City | Paynsville |
| County | Stearns County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 56632 |
| Coordinates | 45.39874, -94.71743 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPR | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.0 MW | Operating | 2019 |
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. |
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.