398th largest plant in Illinois · 11698th nationally
Square Barn Solar is a solar power plant in Illinois with a nameplate capacity of 1.5 MW. It generates roughly 2.1k MWh per year — enough to power about 199 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 16% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Square Barn Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Forefront Power, Llc |
| City | Algonquin |
| County | Mchenry County |
| State | Illinois |
| ZIP | 60102 |
| Coordinates | 42.16400, -88.38300 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.5 MW | Operating | 2020 |
| 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.