TOPAZ SOLAR FARM
OperatingSolar power plant
- Capacity
- 305 MW
- Primary fuel
- Solar
- County
- San Luis Obispo County
- Operator
- FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2013
- EIA plant ID
- 57695
- Generators
- 5
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,071 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 21%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 35.4056, -120.0686
TOPAZ SOLAR FARM, a 305 MW Solar power plant in San Luis Obispo County, California. Operated by FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC, commissioned 2013.
How TOPAZ SOLAR FARM compares
With 305 MW of capacity, TOPAZ SOLAR FARM ranks 51st among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 4th of the 303 operating Solar plants in the state. It accounts for about 4.2% of California's operating Solar capacity and 0.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 4th-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. Its operator, FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC, runs 11 operating plants in California totaling 1,678 MW. It shares San Luis Obispo County with 5 other operating plants, including DIABLO CANYON and CALIFORNIA VALLEY SOLAR RANCH.
EIA-860 lists 5 generators at the site with 586 MW of nameplate capacity, all solar photovoltaic technology (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 305 MW). Net generation was 1,071 GWh in 2024 (a 21% capacity factor), down 12% from 2022. Its generators came online between 2013 and 2014.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is SOLAR (230 kV), about 1.7 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY, about 1.6 miles away. Another 11 operating power plants totaling 551 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is CALIFORNIA VALLEY SOLAR RANCH (250 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
TOPAZ SOLAR FARM is a 305 MW solar power plant in San Luis Obispo County, CA, operated by FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC, commissioned in 2013. San Luis Obispo County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.5 of 5 at the 12th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 96th percentile.
San Luis Obispo County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Share of modeled loss | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 96th | 4.9 of 5 | 52% | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | 14% | 0.11 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 91st | 4.6 of 5 | 33% | 0.64 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 77th | 4.1 of 5 | <1% | 8.5 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively Low | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | 1% | 3.1 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | <1% | 0.09 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 1st | 1.1 of 5 | <1% | 0.02 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | 3.2 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | 1.1 |
| Hail | Very Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | 0.05 |
Perils not assessed in San Luis Obispo 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 |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | 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 1.0 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 1.1 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 305 MW solar array
At an assumed replacement value of $0.90 per watt, or $274.5M insured, the modeled expected annual loss for a fixed tilt ground mount array in San Luis Obispo County is $65,501 a year, $215 per MW, 0.02% of insured value.
Heat is modeled as a production risk rather than a property loss: 2.3% of annual yield in this county.
Insurability signal: Standard. Wildfire carries 52% of modeled loss.
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for San Luis Obispo 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.