361st largest plant in Minnesota · 10231st nationally
St. Charles Solar is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 2.0 MW. It generates roughly 3.1k MWh per year — enough to power about 298 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 18% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | St. Charles Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Butter Solar, Llc |
| City | St Charles Township |
| County | Winona County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 55972 |
| Coordinates | 43.97600, -92.03200 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STC10 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 2.0 MW | Operating | 2019 |
| 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.