IMPERIAL SOLAR ENERGY CENTER SOUTH
OperatingSolar power plant
- Capacity
- 130 MW
- Primary fuel
- Solar
- County
- Imperial County
- Operator
- CSOLAR IV SOUTH LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2013
- EIA plant ID
- 57490
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Net generation (2024)
- 264 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 23%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 32.6633, -115.6583
IMPERIAL SOLAR ENERGY CENTER SOUTH, a 130 MW Solar power plant in Imperial County, California. Operated by CSOLAR IV SOUTH LLC, commissioned 2013.
How IMPERIAL SOLAR ENERGY CENTER SOUTH compares
With 130 MW of capacity, IMPERIAL SOLAR ENERGY CENTER SOUTH ranks 128th among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 18th of the 303 operating Solar plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.8% of California's operating Solar capacity and 0.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 24th-largest of the 639 operating Solar plants in the database. Commissioned in 2013, it is newer than 72% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Imperial County with 33 other operating plants, including IMPERIAL VALLEY SOLAR LLC and EL CENTRO.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 129 MW of nameplate capacity, all solar photovoltaic technology. Net generation was 264 GWh in 2024 (a 23% capacity factor), down 9% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is IMPERIAL VALLEY (500 kV), about 5.0 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC, about 1.5 miles away. Another 16 operating power plants totaling 1,666 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is IMPERIAL VALLEY SOLAR LLC (434 MW, Solar).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
IMPERIAL SOLAR ENERGY CENTER SOUTH is a 130 MW solar power plant in Imperial County, CA, operated by CSOLAR IV SOUTH LLC, commissioned in 2013. Imperial County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.4 of 5 at the 9th national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 99th percentile.
Imperial County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Share of modeled loss | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99th | 5.0 of 5 | 58% | 0.15 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 77th | 4.1 of 5 | 29% | 1.5 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 70th | 3.8 of 5 | <1% | 16.9 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | 2% | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 16th | 1.6 of 5 | 2% | 0.28 |
| Hail | Very Low | 11th | 1.4 of 5 | 9% | 0.05 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | <1% | 0.10 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | 11.3 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | 0.02 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Imperial 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 1.4 of 5, which sits in the 1% to 2% percentage deductible range carriers are quoting for that exposure. Named windstorm and severe convective wind score 1.6 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: 1% to 2% 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 130 MW solar array
At an assumed replacement value of $0.90 per watt, or $117.0M insured, the modeled expected annual loss for a fixed tilt ground mount array in Imperial County is $22,992 a year, $177 per MW, 0.02% 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. Earthquake carries 58% of modeled loss.
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Imperial 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.