63rd largest plant in Maryland · 8379th nationally
Nist Solar is a solar power plant in Maryland with a nameplate capacity of 4.0 MW. It generates roughly 6.8k MWh per year — enough to power about 649 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 19% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Nist Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Luminace Solar Mc, Llc |
| City | Gaithersburg |
| County | Montgomery County |
| State | Maryland |
| ZIP | 20899 |
| Coordinates | 39.12700, -77.21600 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PV1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 4.0 MW | Operating | 2018 |
| NERC Region | RFC |
|---|---|
| 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.