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POWER magazine, a global media focusing on power generating market, officially announced its list of Top Renewable Plants for 2014. Among the five winners, there are two solar power plant, one hydropower plant, one bioenergy plant and one wind farm.
Agua Caliente Solar Project, Yuma County, Arizona
This desert solar photovoltaic (PV) plant is noteworthy not just because it holds the current title for largest PV plant in the world but also for its impressive capacity factor and advanced control system.
Ashta Hydropower Plant, Shkoder, Albania
Although new large-scale hydropower projects are becoming rarer and often face considerable opposition on environmental grounds, carefully sited small-scale hydro projects like this one, which uses a modular turbine technology, can result in net environmental benefits.
Hometown BioEnergy, Le Sueur, Minnesota
This plant starts by turning waste products into fuel and then takes every opportunity to recover otherwise wasted heat to maximize the efficiency of other plant systems. In addition to selling power, the plant sells solid byproducts to other types of renewable generators.
London Array Offshore Wind Farm, Outer Thames Estuary, UK
Despite rough seas and tough economic conditions, the world's largest offshore wind farm is online and supplying renewable power to an island nation that leads the world in offshore capacity and has plans for even more.
Solana Generating Station, Maricopa County, Arizona
Currently the world's largest parabolic trough technology solar generating plant with thermal energy storage, Solana offers dispatchable power to a state famous for its sun. Now, when summer sun prompts Arizonans to turn on their air conditioning, the sun can also cool their buildings.
(Photo: Ashta Hydropower Plant. Photo Credit: Energji Ashta)