The ten largest operational solar photovoltaic farms in the world, ranked by installed capacity from the 5 GW Xinjiang mega-project to India's 1 GW solar parks.
Quick answer: 1. Xinjiang Solar Farm, 2. Golmud Solar Park, 3. Bhadla Solar Park, 4. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, 5. Pavagada Solar Park, 6. Benban Solar Park, 7. Tengger Desert Solar Park, 8. Noor Abu Dhabi, 9. Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park, 10. Datong Solar Power Top Runner Base.
Solar power has become the fastest-growing source of renewable energy worldwide, with global installed capacity surpassing 1.5 TW in 2024. Utility-scale solar farms — sprawling arrays of photovoltaic panels covering thousands of acres — now dominate new capacity additions, particularly in China, India, and the Middle East. This list ranks the ten largest operational solar photovoltaic (PV) farms in the world by their installed capacity in megawatts (MW). All figures represent grid-connected capacity as of mid-2026. Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants are excluded to keep the comparison apples-to-apples.
Located in the Xinjiang region of China, this 5,000 MW solar farm connected to the grid in June 2024, making it the world's largest operational solar PV installation. It covers an area of roughly 200,000 acres and generates enough electricity to power approximately 2 million households annually.
Situated in Qinghai Province, China, the Golmud Solar Park has an installed capacity of 2,800 MW with nearly seven million solar panels. The site has expansion plans targeting up to 16 GW within the next five to six years, which would make it the largest solar installation by a wide margin.
Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan, India, covers 14,000 acres (56 km²) of arid desert land with an installed capacity of 2,700 MW. The region receives 300 sunny days per year with 7.57 kWh/m² per day of solar irradiation, making it one of the best locations in the world for solar generation.
The MBR Solar Park in Dubai, UAE, has a current capacity of 2,620 MW with plans to reach 5 GW by 2030. Spanning 214 km², it is one of the most expensive solar projects ever built at an estimated $13.6 billion, using both photovoltaic and concentrated solar power technologies across multiple phases.
Also known as Shakti Sthala, the Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka, India, covers 13,000 acres (53 km²) across five villages with a capacity of 2,050 MW. Built at a cost of $2 billion, it was developed on land leased from 2,300 local farmers who had faced years of drought.
Benban Solar Park in Aswan, Egypt, is Africa's largest solar installation with a capacity of 1,800 MW. Built at a cost of $4 billion, it was developed as part of Egypt's Nubian Suns Feed-In Tariff programme and covers 37 km² with over 6 million solar panels across 41 individual plants.
The Tengger Desert Solar Park in Ningxia, China, covers 43 km² and has a capacity of 1,540 MW. Often called the 'Great Wall of Solar,' it supplies power to approximately 600,000 homes. The park was constructed on the edge of the Tengger Desert and began full production in 2016.
Noor Abu Dhabi is the world's largest single-site solar PV farm, with a capacity of 1,200 MW covering 1,977 acres (8 km²). It uses 3.2 million solar panels and 1,430 waterless cleaning robots that travel 800 km daily to keep panels dust-free in the desert environment.
The Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh, India, has a capacity of 1,000 MW on 23 km² of arid land. It features over 4 million solar panels and generates approximately 8 million kWh of electricity on a bright day. It was commissioned by the Solar Energy Corporation of India.
The Datong Solar Power Top Runner Base in Shanxi, China, has a capacity of 1,000 MW. Phase 1 of the project, completed in 2017, included a 50 MW section shaped like a giant panda. The final phase covers approximately 6 km² and generates 3.2 billion kWh of electricity annually.
| # | Name | Location | Area | Grid connection | Type | Panels | Expansion target | Sunny days | Investment | Homes powered | Solar panels | Notable feature | Annual generation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xinjiang Solar Farm | Xinjiang, China | ~200,000 acres | June 2024 | Photovoltaic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | Golmud Solar Park | Qinghai, China | — | — | Photovoltaic | ~7 million | 16 GW | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | Bhadla Solar Park | Rajasthan, India | 14,000 acres | — | Photovoltaic | — | — | 300 per year | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park | Dubai, UAE | 214 km² | — | Hybrid (PV + CSP) | — | — | — | $13.6 billion | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Pavagada Solar Park | Karnataka, India | 13,000 acres | — | Photovoltaic | — | — | — | $2 billion | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Benban Solar Park | Aswan, Egypt | 37 km² | — | Photovoltaic | — | — | — | $4 billion | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Tengger Desert Solar Park | Ningxia, China | 43 km² | — | Photovoltaic | — | — | — | — | ~600,000 | — | — | — |
| 8 | Noor Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi, UAE | 8 km² | — | Photovoltaic | — | — | — | — | — | 3.2 million | — | — |
| 9 | Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park | Andhra Pradesh, India | 23 km² | — | Photovoltaic | — | — | — | — | — | 4 million+ | — | — |
| 10 | Datong Solar Power Top Runner Base | Shanxi, China | — | — | Photovoltaic | — | — | — | — | — | — | Panda-shaped array | 3.2 billion kWh |
Solar farms are ranked by installed capacity in megawatts (MW) as reported by project operators, grid operators, and verified by sources including the International Energy Agency (IEA), NS Energy Business, and NASA Earth Observatory. Only operational solar PV farms — those that have been fully commissioned and connected to the grid — are included. Projects still under construction, announced, or in pre-development are excluded. Capacity figures reflect nameplate DC capacity where available, or AC capacity where DC figures are not published.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) farms convert sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor panels. Concentrated solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus sunlight and heat a fluid, which then drives a turbine. CSP can store thermal energy for power generation after dark but is more expensive and less common than PV.
Large solar farms typically take 1-3 years from groundbreaking to grid connection, depending on size, permitting, and grid infrastructure. The largest projects are often built in multiple phases over 5-10 years, with each phase adding capacity as panels are installed and connected.
China and India have abundant desert land, high solar irradiation, strong government renewable energy targets, and large-scale manufacturing capacity for solar panels. Both countries have committed to net-zero goals and see utility-scale solar as the most cost-effective way to decarbonise their rapidly growing electricity grids.