SCDA Solar 1

Solar power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 38.6902, -121.5865.

SolarCaliforniaUnited States of America

SCDA Solar 1 is a 7 MW solar power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by SCDA Solar 1 LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 15 GWh, it can supply roughly 4.3k homes. It ranks #6248 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2017, it is around 9 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).

7Source-backed capacity
15GWh reported / yr
4,257homes powered
2017commissioned (~9 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0061006.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySCDA Solar 1 WRI
CountryUnited States of America · California WRI
Coordinates38.6902, -121.5865 WRI
FuelSolar WRI
MW installed capacity7 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSCDA Solar 1 LLC WRI
Commissioned2017 WRI
GWh reported / yr15 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#6248 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#740 of 3283 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers2.33× · 3 MW median · 3283 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent4,257 calculated from reported generation
Climate16.1°C · HDD 1,272 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 34/100 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 L100000814842); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 7 MW, SCDA Solar 1 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

2017: 1 GWh20172018: 2 GWh20182019: 15 GWh201915 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by SCDA Solar 1 LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 38.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

16.1°Cannual mean temp
1,272heating degree-days (base 18°C)
604cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
4 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 8 °CJF: 11 °CFM: 13 °CMA: 15 °CAM: 19 °CMJ: 22 °CJJ: 24 °CJA: 23 °CAS: 22 °CSO: 18 °CON: 12 °CND: 8 °CD24 °C

Heating degree-days here run 48% below 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: 30/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
34/100environmental-severity index
16.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
136 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 #740 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 38.6902, -121.5865 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is SCDA Solar 1?

SCDA Solar 1 is a 7 MW source-record solar power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 2017.

How much electricity does SCDA Solar 1 generate?

SCDA Solar 1 generates about 15 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can SCDA Solar 1 power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 4,257 homes.

Who operates SCDA Solar 1?

SCDA Solar 1 is operated by SCDA Solar 1 LLC.

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