135th largest plant in Minnesota · 5651st nationally
Westside Solar is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 10.0 MW. It generates roughly 17.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 1,657 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 20% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Westside Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Westside Solar, Llc (Ecofin) |
| City | Rochester |
| County | Olmsted County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 55901 |
| Coordinates | 44.05358, -92.54849 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 6.5 MW | Operating | 2022 |
| NORTH | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 3.5 MW | Operating | 2022 |
| 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.