442nd largest plant in Minnesota · 12726th nationally
South Garden is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 1.0 MW. It generates roughly 1.2k MWh per year — enough to power about 114 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 14% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | South Garden |
|---|---|
| Operator | South Garden Llc |
| City | Winstead |
| County | Mcleod County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 55395 |
| Coordinates | 44.94917, -94.07688 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MNC01 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.0 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| 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.