652nd largest plant in North Carolina · 8274th nationally
Gastonia Solar Center is a solar power plant in North Carolina with a nameplate capacity of 4.3 MW. It generates roughly 8.1k MWh per year — enough to power about 776 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 22% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Gastonia Solar Center |
|---|---|
| Operator | Adapture Renewables, Inc. |
| City | Gastonia |
| County | Gaston County |
| State | North Carolina |
| ZIP | 28056 |
| Coordinates | 35.22903, -81.18908 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60916 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 4.3 MW | Operating | 2018 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Duke Energy Carolinas |
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.