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University Park Solar

Solar power plant in Pennsylvania, United States of America. Approximate location 40.817, -77.8441.

SolarPennsylvaniaUnited States of America

University Park Solar is a 2 MW solar power plant in Pennsylvania, United States of America. It is operated by SS PA II PSU LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 2 GWh, it can supply roughly 457 homes. It ranks #9949 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2019, it is around 7 years old — recently built. 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).

2Source-backed capacity
2GWh reported / yr
457homes powered
2019commissioned (~7 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0062119.

Data status

Known data

FacilityUniversity Park Solar WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Pennsylvania WRI
Coordinates40.817, -77.8441 WRI
FuelSolar WRI
MW installed capacity2 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSS PA II PSU LLC WRI
Commissioned2019 WRI
GWh reported / yr2 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#9949 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2653 of 3283 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.50× · 3 MW median · 3283 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent457 calculated from reported generation
Climate9.0°C · HDD 3,450 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 30/100 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 L100000815426); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 2 MW, University Park Solar is below 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

2018: 0 GWh20182019: 2 GWh20192 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by SS PA II PSU LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 40.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.0°Cannual mean temp
3,450heating degree-days (base 18°C)
181cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
470 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -4 °CJF: -3 °CFM: 2 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 18 °CJJ: 21 °CJA: 20 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 10 °CON: 5 °CND: -1 °CD21 °C

Heating degree-days here run 40% 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: 75/100 — this site sits in the top 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
30/100environmental-severity index
25.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
318 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 #2653 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 40.817, -77.8441 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is University Park Solar?

University Park Solar is a 2 MW source-record solar power plant in Pennsylvania, United States of America, commissioned in 2019.

How much electricity does University Park Solar generate?

University Park Solar generates about 2 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can University Park Solar power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 457 homes.

Who operates University Park Solar?

University Park Solar is operated by SS PA II PSU LLC.

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