862nd largest plant in North Carolina · 11275th nationally
Esa Smithfield is a solar power plant in North Carolina with a nameplate capacity of 1.8 MW. It generates roughly 3.0k MWh per year — enough to power about 289 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 19% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Esa Smithfield |
|---|---|
| Operator | Sre Utility Solar 1, Llc |
| City | Smithfield |
| County | Johnston County |
| State | North Carolina |
| ZIP | 27577 |
| Coordinates | 35.48835, -78.31975 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN01 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.8 MW | Operating | 2015 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Duke Energy Progress East |
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.