249th largest plant in Virginia · 12726th nationally
Western Branch High School is a solar power plant in Virginia with a nameplate capacity of 1.0 MW. It generates roughly 742 MWh per year — enough to power about 70 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 8% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Western Branch High School |
|---|---|
| Operator | Virginia Electric & Power Co |
| City | Chesapeake |
| County | Chesapeake City County |
| State | Virginia |
| ZIP | 23321 |
| Coordinates | 36.84810, -76.40714 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.0 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| 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.