197th largest plant in Minnesota · 6987th nationally
Paynesville Community Solar is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 5.0 MW. It generates roughly 8.3k MWh per year — enough to power about 790 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 19% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Paynesville Community Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Paynesville Community Solar |
| City | Paynesville |
| County | Stearns County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 56362 |
| Coordinates | 45.40254, -94.71547 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCS1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.0 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| PCS2 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.0 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| PCS3 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.0 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| PCS4 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.0 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| PCS5 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.0 MW | Operating | 2017 |
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| 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.