Comanche Solar

Solar power plant in Colorado, United States of America. Approximate location 38.2053, -104.5667.

SolarColoradoUnited States of America

Comanche Solar is a 120 MW solar power station in Colorado, United States of America. It is operated by Novatus Energy. Based on reported annual generation of 291 GWh, it can supply roughly 83k homes. It ranks #2577 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2016, it is around 10 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, solar supplies about 8.6% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

120Source-backed capacity
291GWh reported / yr
83,085homes powered
2016commissioned (~10 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0059656.

Data status

Known data

FacilityComanche Solar WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Colorado WRI
Coordinates38.2053, -104.5667 WRI
FuelSolar WRI
MW installed capacity120 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerNovatus Energy WRI
Commissioned2016 WRI
GWh reported / yr291 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#2577 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#55 of 3283 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers40.00× · 3 MW median · 3283 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent83,085 calculated from reported generation
Climate11.6°C · HDD 2,831 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 39/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000804686); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 120 MW, Comanche Solar is well above the median solar plant in United States of America (3 MW). Solar PV converts sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts or fuel; output varies by time of day and weather, so it pairs with storage or flexible backup.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2016: 85 GWh20162017: 285 GWh20172018: 298 GWh20182019: 291 GWh2019298 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Novatus Energy. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 38.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

11.6°Cannual mean temp
2,831heating degree-days (base 18°C)
532cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,480 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -1 °CJF: 2 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 11 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 22 °CJJ: 25 °CJA: 24 °CAS: 19 °CSO: 12 °CON: 4 °CND: 0 °CD25 °C

Heating degree-days here run 15% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 58/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Solar PV loses ~0.35%/°C above 25°C cell temperature — roughly 0.0% at warm-season highs here (estimate).

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
39/100environmental-severity index
25.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
1133 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #55 largest solar power plant of 3283 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 3283 solar power plants in this dataset, together about 38,093 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 38.2053, -104.5667 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Comanche Solar?

Comanche Solar is a 120 MW source-record solar power plant in Colorado, United States of America, commissioned in 2016.

How much electricity does Comanche Solar generate?

Comanche Solar generates about 291 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Comanche Solar power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 83,085 homes.

Who operates Comanche Solar?

Comanche Solar is operated by Novatus Energy.

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