1307th largest plant in California · 9978th nationally
Valley Center is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 2.3 MW. It generates roughly 3.5k MWh per year — enough to power about 335 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 17% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Valley Center |
|---|---|
| Operator | Heelstone Energy Holdings, Llc |
| City | Valley Center |
| County | San Diego County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 92082 |
| Coordinates | 33.25030, -117.02260 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PV1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 2.3 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | California Independent System Operator |
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.