734th largest plant in North Carolina · 9695th nationally
Thunderhead is a solar power plant in North Carolina with a nameplate capacity of 2.6 MW. It generates roughly 4.0k MWh per year — enough to power about 384 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 18% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Thunderhead |
|---|---|
| Operator | Thunderhead Solar, Llc |
| City | Asheboro |
| County | Randolph County |
| State | North Carolina |
| ZIP | 27203 |
| Coordinates | 35.75101, -79.78992 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THU | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 2.6 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Duke Energy Progress East |
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.