225th largest plant in Illinois · 10231st nationally
Somonauk Road Solar 1 is a solar power plant in Illinois with a nameplate capacity of 2.0 MW. It generates roughly 3.6k MWh per year — enough to power about 347 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 21% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Somonauk Road Solar 1 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Somonauk Road Solar 1, Llc |
| City | Somonauk |
| County | Dekalb County |
| State | Illinois |
| ZIP | 60552 |
| Coordinates | 41.75827, -88.65629 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6344 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 2.0 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| 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.