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Topaz Solar Farm installation, California

Earth Science Division Editorial Team

Mar 12, 2015
Article
before
after
The Topaz Solar Farm in Central California, one of the largest in the U.S., is a 550-megawatt power station that can produce enough electricity to power 160,000 homes. It consists of 9 million solar panels across 9.5 square miles (24.6 square kilometers). Construction began in 2012 and was completed in late 2014. The 2011 image shows that the land had been used for agriculture (green blocks). The 2015 image shows the solar installations as dark blocks. This second image also displays less overall greenness because of seasonal change. Images taken by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus instrument onboard Landsat 7 and the Operational Land Imager onboard Landsat 8. Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Missions Gallery “Topaz Solar Farm, California,” U.S. Department of the Interior / USGS and NASA.
The Topaz Solar Farm in Central California, one of the largest in the U.S., is a 550-megawatt power station that can produce enough electricity to power 160,000 homes. It consists of 9 million solar panels across 9.5 square miles (24.6 square kilometers). Construction began in 2012 and was completed in late 2014. The 2011 image shows that the land had been used for agriculture (green blocks). The 2015 image shows the solar installations as dark blocks. This second image also displays less overall greenness because of seasonal change. Images taken by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus instrument onboard Landsat 7 and the Operational Land Imager onboard Landsat 8. Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Missions Gallery “Topaz Solar Farm, California,” U.S. Department of the Interior / USGS and NASA.

Before and After

Topaz Solar Farm installation, California

October 30, 2011 - January 2, 2015

The Topaz Solar Farm in Central California, one of the largest in the U.S., is a 550-megawatt power station that can produce enough electricity to power 160,000 homes. It consists of 9 million solar panels across 9.5 square miles (24.6 square kilometers). Construction began in 2012 and was completed in late 2014. The 2011 image shows that the land had been used for agriculture (green blocks). The 2015 image shows the solar installations as dark blocks. This second image also displays less overall greenness because of seasonal change. Images taken by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus instrument onboard Landsat 7 and the Operational Land Imager onboard Landsat 8. Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Missions Gallery “Topaz Solar Farm, California,” U.S. Department of the Interior / USGS and NASA.

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