Maps
Where are the World’s Largest Solar Power Plants?
Visualizing the World’s Largest Solar Power Plants
Devastating wildfires, rising temperatures, and warming seas across the world have added renewed vigor to the global quest for carbon emission reductions.
And in this hunt for sustainable alternatives to air-polluting energy sources, solar power plants have emerged as shining beacons of hope.
In this graphic, Pranav Gavali uses data from Statista to shed light on the world’s 15 largest solar power plants (and solar parks) illuminating the world as of 2021.
World’s Largest Solar Power Plants By Capacity
Solar power plants have been harnessing the sun’s abundant rays over the past two decades, but plants with capacities in the thousands of megawatts have only come online within the last few years.
And two countries have been leading their rollout: China and India. Together they housed nine of the 15 largest solar power plants in the world in 2021.
Here are the top 15 solar power plants (photovoltaic power stations) by installed capacity:
Rank | Name | Country | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bhadla Solar Park | 🇮🇳 India | 2,245 MW |
2 | Huanghe Hydropower Hainan Solar Park | 🇨🇳 China | 2,200 MW |
3 | Pavagada Solar Park | 🇮🇳 India | 2,050 MW |
4 | Benban Solar Park | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,650 MW |
5 | Tengger Desert Solar Park | 🇨🇳 China | 1,547 MW |
6 | Noor Abu Dhabi | 🇦🇪 UAE | 1,177 MW |
7 | Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park | 🇦🇪 UAE | 1,013 MW |
8 | Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park | 🇮🇳 India | 1,000 MW |
9 | Datong Solar Power Top Runner Base | 🇨🇳 China | 1,000 MW |
10 | NP Kunta | 🇮🇳 India | 978 MW |
11 | Longyangxia Dam Solar Park | 🇨🇳 China | 850 MW |
12 | Villanueva Solar Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 828 MW |
13 | Copper Mountain Solar Facility | 🇺🇸 United States | 802 MW |
14 | Mount Signal Solar Park | 🇺🇸 United States | 794 MW |
15 | Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Park | 🇮🇳 India | 750 MW |
India’s Bhadla Solar Park is the world’s largest solar park as of the time of the dataset. It has the capacity to generate 2,245 megawatts of electricity alone, enough to power 1.3 million homes. The country also has the third-largest solar power plant, Pavagada Solar Park, and five of the top 15.
China is the world’s largest producer of solar energy and had four of the 15 largest solar plants in 2021. Huanghe Hydropower’s Hainan Solar Park—listed in some sources as Golmud Solar Park—is the world’s second largest solar power plant with a 2,200 megawatt capacity, while Tengger Desert Solar Park (also known as the “Great Wall of Solar”) was formerly the largest solar park in the world with a 1,547 megawatt capacity.
One thing the world’s largest solar power plants have in common is access to large stretches of open land, particularly deserts. And three of the newest mega solar parks are in the Middle East: Egypt’s Benban Solar Park, and UAE’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Power Plant.
Solar energy usage has been growing exponentially across the Atlantic as well, just not as fast as in Asia. Mexico’s Villanueva Solar Park is the largest solar plant in the Americas with an 828 megawatt capacity, while the Copper Mountain Solar Facility (802 MW) in Nevada and the Mount Signal Solar Park (794 MW) in California are the largest plants in the United States.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Technology
Ranked: Google’s Thirstiest Data Centers
Locating and ranking the thirstiest of Google’s data centers in America, by the millions of gallons of water consumed in 2023.

How Much Water do Google’s Data Centers Use?
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
This map locates Google’s data centers that consume the most water in America. Data is sourced from Google’s 2024 Environment Report.
Why do data centers need water? It’s because computer servers generate significant heat that must be dissipated to maintain performance.
As a result, water is used in chiller plants, evaporative cooling systems, and humidification to manage temperature levels.
Ranked: Google’s Thirstiest Data Centers
Google’s data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa consumed nearly 1 billion gallons of water in 2023, by far the most by any single complex listed in their report.
All of that water was potable, i.e., safe for drinking.
Rank | Location | State | Water Used 2023 (Gallons) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Council Bluffs | IA | 980M |
2 | Mayes County | OK | 815M |
3 | Berkeley County | SC | 763M |
4 | Douglas County | GA | 346M |
5 | Lenoir | NC | 337M |
6 | The Dalles | OR | 302M |
7 | Montgomery County | TN | 289M |
8 | Leesburg | VA | 173M |
9 | Henderson | NV | 159M |
10 | Jackson County | AL | 142M |
11 | Midlothian | TX | 136M |
12 | Papillion | NE | 135M |
13 | New Albany | OH | 127M |
14 | Sterling | VA | 56M |
15 | Ashburn | VA | 55M |
16 | Lockbourne | OH | 23M |
17 | Lancaster | OH | 8M |
18 | Storey County | NV | 0.2M |
The data center complexes in Mayes County, Oklahoma and Berkeley County, South Carolina are the next “thirstiest,” using 750–800 million gallons of water a year.
These top three locations are well-above their counterparts across the U.S., and the rest of the world in water usage.
Together all of Google’s data centers used nearly more than 6 billion gallons of water in 2023, the equivalent of 41 golf courses.
Do Google’s Data Centers Drink Water?
Technically, data centers don’t actually “consume” all the water they use. Most of it is circulated in a closed-loop cooling system, with some loss.
However these numbers are from Google’s Sustainability Report, which specifies the water it’s withdrawn from the supply, discharged, and “consumed,” with the latter visualized here.
Also in drier areas, water is actively used to control humidity by evaporation which means it is being lost to the surroundings.
Finally, heated water returned to the ecosystem can have an adverse environmental impact.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
The other thing data centers need a lot of: electricity. Check out Data Center Electricity Consumption by State for a breakdown.
-
Maps6 days ago
Mapped: The Top Import Partner of Every U.S. State
-
Misc3 weeks ago
Visualizing the Global Population in 2035, by Generation
-
Demographics2 weeks ago
Charted: The Countries that Speak the Most Languages
-
War2 weeks ago
The 10 Most Powerful Air Forces in the World
-
Money2 weeks ago
Visualizing How Americans Spend Their Money
-
Markets3 weeks ago
Ranked: The World’s 50 Most Profitable Companies in 2024
-
Demographics2 weeks ago
Visualizing the World’s Super-Aged Societies
-
War4 weeks ago
Global Nuclear Warhead Stockpiles (1945-2024)