SADDLE MOUNTAIN SOLAR I
OperatingSolar power plant
- Capacity
- 15 MW
- Primary fuel
- Solar
- County
- Maricopa County
- Operator
- SUNE AZ2 LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2012
- EIA plant ID
- 58213
- Coordinates
- 33.3783, -113.1808
SADDLE MOUNTAIN SOLAR I, a 15 MW Solar power plant in Maricopa County, Arizona. Operated by SUNE AZ2 LLC, commissioned 2012.
Weather peril exposure
SADDLE MOUNTAIN SOLAR I is a 15 MW solar power plant in Maricopa County, AZ, operated by SUNE AZ2 LLC, commissioned in 2012. Maricopa County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.7 of 5 at the 42nd national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 85th percentile.
Maricopa County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Share of modeled loss | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 5% | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Very High | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 10% | 8.5 |
| Heat wave | Very High | 71st | 3.9 of 5 | <1% | 19.8 |
| Hail | Very High | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | 84% | 0.28 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 49th | 3.0 of 5 | <1% | 0.01 |
| Strong wind | Very High | 19th | 1.8 of 5 | 1% | 1.4 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | <1% | 0.57 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | <1% | 32.3 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.1 of 5 | <1% | 0.57 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | 0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Maricopa County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Ice storm | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Hail exposure and deductible structure
Hail scores 3.2 of 5, which sits in the 2% to 5% percentage deductible range carriers are quoting for that exposure. Named windstorm and severe convective wind score 1.8 of 5, indicating a 1% to 1% wind deductible. Ranges, not single figures. The final structure is set by the carrier.
Percentage hail deductible range: 2% to 5% of insured value. Wind deductible range: 1% to 1%. These are the structures commonly seen at this exposure, not an offer and not a rate.
Modeled annual loss for a 15 MW solar array
At an assumed replacement value of $0.90 per watt, or $13.5M insured, the modeled expected annual loss for a fixed tilt ground mount array in Maricopa County is $9,135 a year, $609 per MW, 0.07% of insured value.
Heat is modeled as a production risk rather than a property loss: 2.1% of annual yield in this county.
Insurability signal: Standard. Hail carries 84% of modeled loss.
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Maricopa County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile, and the modeled loss applies the Bywatts solar vulnerability layer. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level. The solar vulnerability layer that turns FEMA building loss into modeled solar loss was derived by Bywatts and revised on physical reasoning. It has not been reviewed by a practising underwriter.