225th largest plant in Michigan · 9135th nationally
Grand Valley Solar Gardens is a solar power plant in Michigan with a nameplate capacity of 3.0 MW. It generates roughly 4.0k MWh per year — enough to power about 384 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 15% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Grand Valley Solar Gardens |
|---|---|
| Operator | Consumers Energy Co - (Mi) |
| City | Allendale |
| County | Ottawa County |
| State | Michigan |
| ZIP | 49401 |
| Coordinates | 42.95310, -85.90117 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 3.0 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| NERC Region | RFC |
|---|---|
| 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.