96th largest plant in Virginia · 4596th nationally
Essex Solar Center is a solar power plant in Virginia with a nameplate capacity of 20.0 MW. It generates roughly 34.5k MWh per year — enough to power about 3,285 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 20% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Essex Solar Center |
|---|---|
| Operator | Arevon Energy, Inc. |
| City | Dunnsville |
| County | Essex County |
| State | Virginia |
| ZIP | 22454 |
| Coordinates | 37.83409, -76.79997 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESSEX | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 20.0 MW | Operating | 2017 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Pjm Interconnection, Llc |
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.